Sri Lanka Mandates Seat Belts for All Expressway Passengers from September 19

The Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, Bimal Ratnayake, confirmed that the seat belt mandate for all passengers on expressways is now strictly enforced from September 19th, following the end of grace periods. The implementation of the seat belt law has been carried out in three phases. The first phase, implemented from June 1st last year, made seat belts mandatory for bus drivers on all roads. The second phase mandated seat belts for passengers in rear seats of light vehicles on all expressways, the grace period for which has now concluded.

The one-year grace period for motorists regarding seat belt usage on expressways ends today, September 18th. From September 19th, drivers and passengers found without seat belts will face legal action. Vehicles without seat belts will be prohibited from entering expressways. The mandate applies to all passengers in both front and rear seats. This was officially announced by the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, who noted previous grace periods granted for older vehicles lacking factory-fitted seat belts.