A hospital-based registration of traffic accident casualties was introduced in Goteborg in 1979. From 1983 the data of this register and the accident data recorded by the police can be matched and analysed with a computer program developed in cooperation with the Traffic Planning Department of the Town Planning Council of Goteborg. The data base contains 1856 casualties from 1983.

Head injuries are common in traffic accidents and they can constitute a great threat to life. Neck injuries are less common but these include critical injuries to the medula oblongata caused by fractures and dislocations of the cervical spine. Most of the neck injuries are sustained by car occupants. The symptoms of neck injuries are not always noted immediately but there is a considerable risk of prolonged disability in some of these cases .

The purpose of this paper is to describe the epidemiology of head and neck injuries in urban traffic and to identify accident factors and trauma mechanisms which may correlate to an increased risk of serious injuries and permanent impairment.