Wearing seatbelts will be mandatory for all passengers travelling in vehicles on expressways from September 19, with police warning that the requirement will be strictly enforced.

The Director of Traffic Management and Road Safety, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manoj Ranagala announced the measure during a media briefing held to raise public awareness on the importance of seatbelt use on expressways.

SSP Ranagala said the law applies to all passengers, including those travelling in expressway buses, and that a Rs. 1,000 fine may be imposed on anyone found travelling without a seatbelt.

He said legal provisions are already in place to impose fines on passengers who fail to comply with the requirement, stressing the need for the public to understand the importance of wearing seatbelts.

According to SSP Ranagala, the measure has been introduced to protect lives amid a rapid increase in fatalities linked to the failure to wear seatbelts during road accidents.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the National Council for Road Safety Manjula Kularatna said the grace period given to vehicles without seatbelts to have them installed will also end on September 19.

The requirement stems from Extraordinary Gazette No. 2455/29, issued on September 25, 2025, which provides for mandatory seatbelt use by all passengers travelling in vehicles on expressways.