Shrine for the Victims

The daily news of tragic motor accidents is almost too much for all of us who have dedicated our lives to the automobile. When I think of the mental anguish of the traffic victims' families, my conscience cannot rest.

The speaker was the president of the world's fifth largest auto producer, Shotaro Kamiya, 71, of Japan's Toyota Motor Sales Co. Recently, on the slopes of the Tateshina Mountains, 140 miles west of Tokyo, he formally dedicated a Buddhist shrine at which prayers will be offered regularly for the souls of people killed in auto accidents.

The shrine, a blood-red structure, cost $444,000. Contributors included Kamiya, all Toyota dealers in Japan and the Esso Standard Oil Co. (of Japan), whose American president is a friend of Kamiya's. The centerpiece of the temple is a statue of Kwannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy. At the dedication, Kamiya prayed that "the infinite compassion of Kwannon will protect the automobile from disasters."

To help Kwannon in this task, Toyota is trying to produce a safer car. There is much room for improvement. Since last summer, when Japan's automakers listed 2,500,000 cars as potentially defective, Toyota has recalled 971,275 autos in Japan and 58,525 Corollas in the U.S. Last week the company called in 47,879 of its Mark II series in the U.S. to check the brake master-cylinder system. Kamiya stressed that the shrine is intended for victims of accidents in all kinds of cars. Last year the worldwide death toll was about 175,000, including 55,000 in the U.S.

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