Sri Lanka’s National Council for Road Safety has announced an additional three-month grace period for vehicles that were not originally manufactured with seat belts, despite the mandatory seat belt regulation on expressways taking effect from today (20).
Transport authorities had earlier stated that the seat belt law would be strictly enforced from June 20, requiring both drivers and passengers travelling on expressways to wear seat belts at all times.
Under the regulation, passengers seated in both the front and rear seats of vehicles using expressways are required to fasten seat belts, marking a significant step toward improving road safety standards across the country.
An initial grace period granted for the implementation of the regulation expired on June 19, and authorities had previously indicated that enforcement would begin immediately thereafter.
However, Chairman of the National Council for Road Safety, Manjula Kularatne, clarified today that vehicles which were not equipped with seat belts by manufacturers would be granted an additional three months to comply with the new requirements.
The extension is expected to provide vehicle owners with sufficient time to make the necessary modifications and ensure compliance with the law.
Road safety officials continue to emphasize that the mandatory use of seat belts is intended to reduce the severity of injuries and save lives in the event of accidents on high-speed road networks.
Authorities have urged motorists and passengers to adopt seat belt usage as a routine safety practice regardless of legal requirements.
