International racing champion Dilantha Malagamuwa has called on Sri Lankan drivers to view seat belts as a vital life-saving measure rather than merely a legal requirement.
Speaking at the National Road Safety Programme held at the Kottawa Expressway Entrance, Malagamuwa noted that while many local drivers wear seat belts out of fear of traffic police and fines, drivers abroad do so to protect their own lives and those of their loved ones.
Highlighting the urgent need to raise awareness, he revealed that nearly 3,000 people die in road accidents annually in Sri Lanka, with many fatalities occurring because victims were not wearing seat belts.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation announced that, effective September 1, it will be mandatory for passengers traveling in buses on expressways as well as for those seated in the back seats of light vehicles to wear seat belts.
