Police will strictly enforce the requirement for all drivers and passengers travelling on Sri Lanka’s expressways to wear seat belts from tomorrow (19).
Director of the Traffic Control and Road Safety Division, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manoj Ranagala, said the approximately one-year grace period provided for compliance will end today (18).
Accordingly, legal action will be taken against drivers and passengers who travel on expressways without wearing seat belts from tomorrow.
SSP Ranagala also said vehicles that are not equipped with seat belts will not be permitted to enter expressways.
Police emphasized that passengers seated in both the front and rear seats must wear seat belts when travelling on expressways.
Ranagala said strict enforcement is necessary because failing to wear a seat belt increases the risk of serious injuries and deaths in road accidents. He stressed that the objective of the law is to protect the lives of drivers and passengers rather than simply impose fines or take legal action.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the National Council for Road Safety Manjula Kularatne said the mandatory seat belt requirement was introduced about a year ago, but additional time was granted because some older vehicles had not been fitted with seat belts by their manufacturers.
Several grace periods were provided for owners of such vehicles to install the required safety equipment, with the final grace period ending today.
Kularatne said all drivers and passengers using expressways will therefore be required to wear seat belts from tomorrow and confirmed that the Police have been instructed to enforce the relevant regulations.
He added that no further extension will be granted, as vehicle owners have been given nearly a year to comply with the requirement.
