In these days and times, knowing what we know, having heard all the public service announcements about seat belts, having learned all about it at school, with most cars buzzing or beeping until the seat belt is fastened, why on earth would anyone choose to drive or ride without the obvious and easy protection that safety belts provide?
Current data for my state (North Carolina) show that in 2017 there were around 1,400 traffic fatalities. Non-fatal injuries are estimated to be as much as 100 times that. About 350 of the roughly 1,400 fatalities were pedestrians, bicyclists, or motorcyclists, so safety belts were not an option for them. Of the roughly 1,050 fatalities of drivers and passengers, more than 40% were not buckled up. Side-by-side with such statistics, the data show that in NC overall safety belt use is estimated at around 91% (that may be a low estimate for drivers and front-seat occupants; other data suggest that back seat use may be as low as 70%). But the 9% or so who do not obey the law and use their restraints contribute disproportionately to traffic fatalities.