Traffic injuries are a surgical problem. The National Safety Council reports that 38,300 deaths and 1,350,000 injuries occurred in motor vehicle accidents in 1953.1 This is the problem which causes the most apprehension in the medical personnel, both house staff and attending, as well as in the hospital administration. Since the usual traffic accident affects more than one family, occurs in a public place, and is attended by law enforcement officers, it is usually highly publicized and there may be all manner of legal implications. This is understandable to all who have witnessed the arrival of such accident victims. The howling sirens, the flashing lights, the police cruiser, the questioning newsmen and the worried families, all help to magnify the situation, perhaps out of all proportion. It is with these thoughts in mind that a study was made of all the traffic injuries that visited the Mt. Carmel Hospital