1997 Buick Regal Owner's Manual - Page 20

I It is extremely dangerous to ride in cargo area, a inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in these areas aremore likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people to ride inany area of your vehicle that is not equipped with seats and safety belts.Be sure everyone in your vehicle isin a seat andusing a safety belt properly. Your vehicle hasa light that comes on as a reminder to buckle up. (See "Safety Belt ReminderLight" 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. so A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be 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 surviveand 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! 1-6