|
What You Can Do!
Actions for Coalition Partners:
Not An Accident Day is an opportunity for all of us to bring attention to an issue that is too often overlooked: when a preventable death is classified as an “accident,” the official record may fail to tell the full story.
We are asking our coalition partners to help make October 19, 2026 a day of education, conversation and action.
We also encourage law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, coroners, medical examiners, public-health agencies, and other justice and public-safety partners to participate in that conversation. Investigation, classification, and accountability are different responsibilities, but each contributes to whether the official record tells the whole story.
1. Share the Message
Use your social media platforms to help educate your followers about Not An Accident Day and why accurate death classifications matter.
- Share our Not An Accident Day posts and graphics.
- Tell your followers why you believe words matter and classification matters.
- Share a personal story or example of a death that was classified as an “accident” even though another person's actions contributed to the death.
- Encourage your followers to learn more about the Not An Accident Campaign.
- Invite others to join the movement.
Downloadable social media graphics and other resources are available in our Not An Accident Toolkit.
2. Help Get the Word Out About October 19
Not An Accident Day will be observed annually on the third Monday of October, beginning October 19, 2026.
Help us make sure people know about it.
- Mark October 19 on your calendar.
- Share the date with your members, supporters and networks.
- Include Not An Accident Day in your newsletters and email communications.
- Ask other organizations to join us.
- Encourage your community to participate on October 19 by sharing information, stories and posts about the issue.
- Encourage local law enforcement, prosecutors, coroners and medical examiners to join the discussion about the relationship between investigation, classification and accountability.
3. Tell the Stories Behind the Statistics
Statistics can tell us how many people die. Stories help us understand what those numbers mean.
If your organization works with families affected by preventable deaths, consider sharing a story on or before Not An Accident Day.
Tell us:
Who was the person?
What happened?
And why does calling the death an “accident” fail to tell the whole story?
Please make sure you have the family's permission before sharing personal information or photographs.
4. Invite People to Take Action
There are several ways people can support the Not An Accident Campaign:
- Join our Facebook group.
- Sign the Not An Accident petition.
- Share our educational materials.
- Follow and share our social media posts.
- Encourage other organizations to join the campaign.
- Tell others about Not An Accident Day.
The more people understand the issue, the stronger our voice becomes.
5. Use Your Voice
Not An Accident Day is about asking an important question:
When another person's actions contribute to a death, is “accident” an accurate classification?
Talk about it with your members. Discuss it with your community. Write about it. Post about it. Ask questions.
We don't need to agree on every circumstance to agree on one basic principle:
Death records should accurately reflect the facts.
Together, We Can Change the Conversation
Not An Accident Day gives us an opportunity to bring this issue out of the shadows and into the public conversation.
On October 19, let's educate.
Let's ask questions.
Let's tell the stories.
Let's demand accuracy.
It was not simply an accident.
The circumstances matter.
The words matter.
The investigation matters.
Join the Movement
Learn more: NotAnAccident.info
Join our Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/notanaccident
Sign the petition: Not An Accident Petition
For information or to get involved, contact info@wesavelives.org.
Thank you for your commitment to this important cause!
| 
