Chevrolet 1997 Monte Carlo Owner's Manual page 21

Your vehicle has a light that
comes on as a reminder to
buckle
up.
(See "Safety
Belt Reminder Light" in
the Index.)
In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says to
wear safety belts. Here's why: They work.
You never know if you'll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don't know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up a person wouldn't survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than 25 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter
...
a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in
or on
anything, you go as fast
as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it's just a seat
on wheels.