Three out of four Montana adults say they always wear a seat belt, according to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services — a rate that sounds reasonable until measured against the national average, which tops 90 percent. That 15-point gap puts Montana among the states with the lowest reported seat belt compliance in the country.

Montana's traffic fatality rate has long been one of the highest per capita in the nation, a figure driven in part by high rural speeds, long distances between trauma centers, and — according to safety officials — lower restraint use. The state does not have a primary seat belt law, meaning officers cannot stop a driver solely for not wearing one, a policy difference that safety researchers consistently link to lower compliance rates.

The Department of Public Health and Human Services released the figures as part of ongoing public awareness efforts, noting that seat belts remain the single most effective tool for surviving a serious crash. For Helena commuters, the numbers are a local reality as much as a statewide statistic — Lewis and Clark County sees its share of serious injury crashes on routes like Highway 12 and Interstate 15.

State officials have not announced new legislative efforts to change Montana's secondary enforcement law, which has been debated and rejected in previous sessions. The current push appears focused on behavioral outreach rather than policy change.