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Even these devices are just a prelude. The auto companies are experimenting with a "drivometer"—a device attached to the brake, accelerator and steering apparatus that would warn a driver when he is performing sloppily. Ford is well along with a "wrist steer"—two small wheels at the driver's side that would replace the dangerous steering shaft. Engineers at G.M. are tinkering with "unicontrol," a sort of auto pilot that would pick up directional signals from the road.
The cars of 1966 are safer than ever, and the '67s will be safer still, but there is no car planned or existing that could not be substantially improved. "The automakers have voluntarily adopted many safety features, but they have not gone far enough," says National Safety Council Chief Pyle. When Detroit rolls out a truly crashproof car, it will make all other models obsolete and serve as the greatest goad to sales since Henry Ford's model T. It is eminently possible that the makers of the world's most joyous and necessary appliance will be able to slash the casualty rate by three-quarters—and that is well worth setting as a national goal.
*Air safety, also a growing source of worry, will be examined in a future TIME Essay.