1998 Chevrolet Prizm Owner's Manual - Page 22

c - It is extremely ( lgerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or outside of a vehicle.In a collision, people riding in theseareas are more likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people to ride in area of your vehicle that is not any equipped with seats and safety belts.Be sure everyone in your vehicleis 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 Canadianprovinces, the law says to wear safety belts. Here's why: They work. You never knowif you'll be ina crash. If you do have a crash, you don't knowif it will be a bad one. A few crashes are mild, andsome crashes can be so serious that even buckled upa 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 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the facts are clear. In mostcrashes buckling up does matter ...a lot! 1-8