ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Department of Public Safety said that more than half of those who were not wearing their seat belts when they were killed in car crashes ended up being ejected from their vehicles.

The DPS’s Office of Traffic Safety said that from 2010 through 2012, 189 of the 361 people killed while unbelted were thrown from the vehicle they were in. Sixty-one of those who died after being ejected were between the ages of 15 and 24.

Officials say the data reinforce the importance of wearing a seat belt.

Authorities are heading into the final weekend of the statewide Click It Or Ticket campaign. Since the campaign started May 20, more than 4,000 motorists have been cited for not wearing seat belts.