Wearing seat belts will be mandatory for all passengers travelling in vehicles on expressways from Sept. 20, following parliamentary approval of the relevant regulations.
The requirement is part of an Extraordinary Gazette issued on June 17, 2026, ending the grace period given to install seat belts in seats that were not fitted with them by vehicle manufacturers.
The matter was discussed at length at a ministerial consultative committee meeting chaired by Transport, Highways and Urban Development Minister Bimal Rathnayake.
Seat belt use on expressways was made mandatory through Gazette No. 2455/29 dated Sept. 25, 2025, amending the Motor Traffic (Expressways) Regulations No. 1717/14 of Aug. 3, 2011, as a measure to reduce the rising number of road accidents and deaths.
A three-month grace period was subsequently provided for the installation of seat belts, which ended on Dec. 25, 2025.
Following public requests, the grace period was later extended from March 20, 2026, to June 19, 2026. (Newswire)