Pontiac 1997 Grand Am Owner's Manual page 15

It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In
a
collision,
people riding in these areas are more likely to be
seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people to
ride in any area of your vehicle that is not
equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure
everyone in your vehicle is in
a
seat and using a
safety belt properly.
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!
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