Citation

Barnes FE. Proc. Am. Assoc. Automot. Med. Annu. Conf. 1962; 6: 15-16.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1962, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Since the time of Jenner, Pasteur, and Reed, physicians have been interested in preventive medicine. Small pox, yellow fever and many other diseases that once scourged the earth, leaving tragedy and waste in their paths, have been conquered. The plagues of old Europe are known in history books only; they are no longer feared by mankind.

Today we are spending huge sums of money and energy to learn the causes of cancer, heart disease, and on mental health problems--we will soon have the answers with this effort being expended. But, what is the big killer today? Cancer? Heart disease? War? No, it is the automobile. With over 38,000 deaths and some 4,000,000 injuries on our highways last year, we are facing a plague that does not seem to have a cure. This carnage mounts yearly with very little public concern. Some safety minded groups, small in number, are searching for the answer. The automobile manufacturers have made an effort to build safety into their cars in recent years, but their enthusiasm has been dampened by a lackadaisical public that is not conscious.