Lootman wrote:
Some people do not like to use the word "accident" because they think it implies that means no blame or fault. But that is not the case at all - you can be involved in an accident where you are fully to blame for it because of negligence, recklessness etc. People go to prison for that in some cases.
The opposite of "accident" is "deliberate" or "intentional".
The opposite of "at fault" is "not at fault" or "blameless".
Two different things.
Googling "accident definition" the first result is "an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in damage or injury." Both "unexpected" and "unintentional". Unexpected implies no blame. But if you have a driver's license your supposed to have read and understood the Highway Code so unexpected requires deliberate ignorance.
A deeper dive gives additional definitions with various combinations of intention and expected. You may choose whichever definition you want to use, but you can't choose what definition other people hear. There are a good many people who believe, with a sound knowledge of English, that all accidents are unexpected and therefor blameless. The way to avoid this ambiguity is to avoid using "accident" as a synonym for "crash". OTOH some people want ambiguity and do anything they can to avoid clarity.