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THE primary concern of a public health program in home accident control is the prevention of disability and death. To reduce the incidence of any major cause of morbidity and mortality significantly, it is obviously desirable to have available sufficient data to permit a view of the total spectrum of associated factors. Those engaged in accident control programs are fortunate in that there is an established system for the reporting of the basic facts on fatal accidents. It is true that, with infectious disease control, it was found profitable to secure, through the use of shoe-leather epidemiology, data on all types of cases from the mildest to the most severe. By gathering detailed information regarding age and sex distribution, social, cultural and economic patterns, and working and living habits among the afflicted, it was possible to trace down the precipitating and predisposing agents and take steps for their elimination. Certainly, it would seem desirable to obtain similarly complete information on home accidents, from the smallest incident causing minor hemorrhage or sprain to the serious incident resulting in death. However, this presents numerous difficulties, and its achieve