Unfortunately, people are still not wearing seat belts. There are far too many people involved in Massachusetts auto accidents who sustain serious and fatal injuries that could have been prevented by wearing a seat belt. This disturbing and perplexing story was provided by msn.com which reveals that too many drivers are not wearing seat belts:

The latest report on seat belt use by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says men account for 65 percent of the more than 31,000 people killed each year in passenger vehicles.

The report being released Monday found:

• 58 percent of those killed who were not wearing a seat belt crashed along rural roads.
• In crashes involving pickup trucks, about seven in 10 people who died were unbelted.
• More than six in 10 people age 8-44 who were killed inside a passenger vehicle were not buckled up.

The agency said that lap and shoulder safety belts reduce the risk of death for those in the front seat of passenger cars by 45 percent and the risk of moderate-to-critical injuries by 50 percent.

The fatality risk for front-seat motorists in sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks and vans who wear seat belts is reduced by 60 percent; moderate-to-critical injuries by 65 percent.