Oops! Americans report risky behavior.(Up front)

Last month, we noted that 27 percent of Americans never wear sunscreen when outdoors for a long time, and 70 percent don't use hearing protection when mowing or leaf blowing. Part Two of our nationwide survey on risky behavior, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, reveals that 24 percent of Americans sometimes fail to fasten their safety belt, and 48 percent don't have a carbon-monoxide detector at home. Many others eat raw dough, seem unaware of the risks of some kids' activities, and clean their ears wrong.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

If you need motivation to do what's safe, consider this:

* According to the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration, safety belts saved 15,147 lives in the U.S. in 2007.

* The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that carbon-monoxide poisoning claims almost 500 lives in the U.S. each year.

* The CDC notes that a common cause of food-borne salmonella infections is undercooked or raw eggs. Salmonellosis causes an estimated 1.4 million cases of foodborne illness and more than 500 deaths annually in the United States.

* Based on our analysis of Consumer Product Safety Commission data, more than 105,000 hospital-treated injuries in the U.S. in 2007 were linked to trampolines.