This study was carried out to determine the incidence of soft tissue injuries of the cervical spine after road traffic accidents and to assess whether the incidence had changed with time. The results show that there has been a progressive increase since 1982 in the number of patients seen in accident and emergency departments with a neck sprain after road traffic accidents. The results suggest that the increase is not necessarily due to the introduction of seat belts, but that the relentless increasing epidemic may be due to other factors.