The purpose of this paper is to interest psychoanalysts in the problems posed by serious accidents. Freud’s explanations are set forth. The problems of accidental suicide, accident-prone personalities & suicide-prone personalities are discussed. A group of 15 men killed in 1-car accidents is compared with 15 men who shot themselves. A group of near-fatal accident victims is also studied. Motivation, character structure, and precipitating ego states are analyzed. (15 refs)