Wearing seat belts will be compulsory for all passengers travelling in vehicles on expressways, effective from midnight today (18), Minister of Transport Bimal Rathnayake announced.
Earlier, police stated that the law requiring all persons travelling in vehicles on expressways to wear seat belts would be strictly enforced from midnight today (18).
Director of the Traffic Control and Road Safety Division, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manoj Ranagala, said the approximately one-year grace period granted for compliance will end today (18).
Accordingly, legal action will be taken against drivers and passengers travelling on expressways without wearing seat belts from midnight today, he said.
He further stated that vehicles not equipped with seat belts will also not be permitted to enter expressways from midnight today.
Police emphasized that all passengers travelling in both the front and rear seats of vehicles using expressways must wear seat belts.
SSP Ranagala said the law is being strictly enforced as failure to wear seat belts increases the risk of serious injuries and fatalities in road accidents.
He stressed that the purpose of enforcing the law is not merely to impose fines or take legal action, but to protect the lives of drivers and passengers.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the National Council for Road Safety Manjula Kularatne said that although the mandatory seat belt requirement was introduced approximately one year ago, additional time had been granted because seat belts had not been installed in some older vehicles by their manufacturers.
Several grace periods had been provided for owners of such vehicles to have seat belts installed, and the final grace period will also end today, he said.
Accordingly, all drivers and passengers travelling on expressways will be required to wear seat belts from midnight today.
He added that the Police had been informed to enforce the relevant laws.
The Chairman further stated that there would be no further extension of the grace period, as vehicle owners had been given nearly a year to install the required seat belts.
