Montana Ranks High for Unrestrained and Helmetless Fatalities

A recent study has uncovered concerning data about road safety, particularly in Montana.

Lawyers who handle personal injury cases studied the information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to look at how many people were seriously hurt or killed in car accidents in different states.

The study set out to figure out how many people who died in car crashes were not wearing seatbelts or helmets while riding motorcycles.

Ranking of States: From North Dakota to Montana

North Dakota had the highest percentage of people who died in car crashes without wearing seatbelts or helmets, with a very high 69.23% of the fatalities falling into this category. Out of 91 collision fatalities, 63 involved people who were not wearing seatbelts or helmets, 21 were wearing seatbelts or helmets, and seven were unknown.

Rhode Island came in second place with 64.44% of fatalities in car accidents linked to people who were not wearing seatbelts or helmets. Out of 45 fatalities, 29 were not wearing seatbelts or helmets, while 16 were wearing them.

Montana ranked third, with 63.54% of collision fatalities involving people not wearing seatbelts or helmets. Out of 192 vehicle occupant fatalities, 122 were not wearing seatbelts or helmets, 65 were, and five were unknown.

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Whether you ride on four wheels or two wheels, keep these statistics in mind. The next time you get in the car, you might want to put on your seatbelt, and the next time you get on your bike, you might want to put on a helmet. It could save your life.

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Gallery Credit: Derek Wolf