Cervical spinal injuries in children and adolescents are fortunately rare, but they can be serious, as they can lead to paralysis. Suspected injuries are diagnosed via X-rays and computed tomography (CT). But indiscriminate CT-related radiation can lead to cancers later in life. Emergency medical services (EMS), emergency department and trauma teams need better tools to determine which children have serious neck trauma needing spinal precautions, and which children have negligible injuries and don’t need the unnecessary radiation exposure.