• Installation grace period ends on same day

Wearing seatbelts will be mandatory for all passengers travelling in vehicles on expressways from 19 September, with the Police warning that the requirement will be strictly enforced.

Director of Traffic Management and Road Safety Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manoj Ranagala said the requirement applies to all passengers, including those travelling in expressway buses.

Addressing a media briefing held to raise public awareness on the importance of wearing seatbelts on expressways, SSP Ranagala said passengers found travelling without seatbelts could be fined Rs. 1,000.

He said legal provisions were already in place to impose fines on passengers who failed to comply with the requirement, stressing the need for the public to understand that wearing seatbelts was essential for protecting lives.

According to Ranagala, the measure has been introduced amid a rapid increase in fatalities linked to passengers failing to wear seatbelts during road accidents.

Meanwhile, National Council for Road Safety Chairperson Manjula Kularatna said the grace period provided for vehicles without seatbelts to have them installed would also end on 19 September.

The requirement stems from Extraordinary Gazette No. 2455/29, issued on 25 September 2025, which provides for mandatory seatbelt use by all passengers travelling in vehicles on expressways.

The Police urged motorists and passengers to comply with the requirement before the enforcement date, warning that action would be taken against those who fail to do so.