sukanya sitthikongsak/Getty Images (WASHINGTON) -- Nearly half of all vehicle passengers killed on U.S. roads in 2021 were not wearing a seatbelt -- the highest number in 10 years, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data released Tuesday. NHTSA said of the 26,325 passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes during 2021, 11,813 were unrestrained. The majority of those killed when not buckled up were in the driver's seat, according to the agency. 'Being in a crash without wearing a seatbelt can have deadly consequences, fatalities have skyrocketed in the last few years,' Jessica Cicchino, vice president of Research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) said in an interview with ABC News.

https://wadk.com/national-news/32e34bfe18a60ae5b579916d0a74e769

#wadk