• Understanding and possibly controlling the human factors of drivers (e. g., their attitudes and personal adjustments) as well as the driver's equipment and environment (e. g., the design of his automobile) provide the most promising areas to prevent automobile accidents. Though no single characteristic of drivers has yet been isolated that appears to be outstanding in accounting for the large proportion of accidents on the highways, there do appear to be several etiological groupings. One of these is the accident repeater, who may manifest general instability in society, or even possess a mild psychopathic personality. As in the control of other epidemics, we must find means of identifying the most important variables relating to the "host," as well as the "agent" and the environment. Physicians can play an important role in such an approach.