Life — June 26, 1931 — page 4: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Caution or Accident?" - Safety Public Service Advertisement This is a public health advertisement by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company addressing America's accident crisis. The stark black-and-white photograph shows wreckage from a vehicle collision, with workers surveying the damage. The headline poses a moral question: were accidents truly unavoidable, or preventable through caution? The advertisement lists the twelve deadliest accident categories, with automobiles ranked first. The text reveals startling statistics: 100,000 annual deaths and $1 billion in costs. The company argues that while industrial safety improved, home accidents remain largely unaddressed. The final message urges readers to request safety pamphlets, positioning insurance companies as accident-prevention advocates rather than mere claim-payers. This represents early 20th-century corporate safety messaging merged with insurance industry marketing.