Whiplash injuries are the most common to occur during a motor vehicle crash and affect a very large part of our society. According to Dr. Arthur Croft at the Spine Research Institute of San Diego, there are 3 million new whiplash injuries (This number is more than the number of injuries actually reported because there are many cases that are not reported or accounted for in statistics generated by NHSTA.) that occur each year in the U.S., with 35-50% of those suffering from long-term pain, and 14% becoming disabled. Their research has also shown that 45% of all persons suffering from chronic neck pain attribute it to a motor vehicle crash injury in their past. Even with the many advances in automotive safety technology, the incidence of whiplash has been on the rise over the past decade. However, whiplash injuries can be largely reduced or prevented with the right patient education. This is talked more about in the Prevention/Safety Tips page of this section.