There are many things that can increase the risk of injury while in a motor vehicle. Some of these things include distracted driving and driving over the speed limit or too fast for weather or road conditions. Something that greatly increases the risk of being injured if an individual is in a motor vehicle accident is the lack of seat belt use. A recent study revealed some alarming statistics about rear-seat passengers who were not wearing seat belts.

The report was released by the Governors Highway Safety Association. Through the study, the association discovered that there were over 800 rear-seat passengers who were killed last year in traffic crashes. All of these individuals were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the accident. The report the association released says that 400 of the 803 people who were killed as a result of the accident would have survived if they were wearing seat belts at the time of the accident.

The Governors Highway Safety Association represents state highway safety offices. The study found that 20 states still do not have laws that require individuals to wear seat belts when they are in the back seat of the vehicle. Although the number of rear-seat passenger deaths has declined, the study found that rear-seat seat belt use has declined.

This study demonstrates the importance of wearing a seat belt no matter where you are seated in the vehicle. Wearing a seat belt is an important way to reduce injuries in the event of an accident. Help keep the roads safe for yourself and others by ensuring that you always wear your seat belt and all passengers to your vehicle wear their seat belts.