A recent newspaper headline was “Rain causes 5-car pileup as pickup truck hydroplanes on highway.”

Rain caused the accident? How about driving too fast on wet highway, which causes hydroplaning?

A frequent but similar scenario: Pickup A and Pickup B head up the highway in heavy snowstorm. Pickup A, still doing 55 mph, finally loses control in slippery snow and spins off the road down into the trees. Next day headline: Snow causes accident.

In Pickup B, the driver slows down to 9 mph because he can barely see through the snow, and knows that snow is slippery. He arrives safely home to spend the night in his nice warm bed while driver A spends the night wrapped up in his airbag. Opposite conclusion: Snow prevents accident, according to News logic.

Sy Powell

Scarborough