The wearing of seat belts by passengers occupying all seats in vehicles travelling on expressways will become mandatory from September 20.
Parliamentary approval has been granted for the orders issued under the Extraordinary Gazette Notification No. 2493/19 dated June 17, 2026, which ends the grace period provided for installing seat belts on seats that were not originally fitted with them by vehicle manufacturers.
The matter was discussed extensively at a meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Transport, Highways and Urban Development, chaired by Minister Bimal Rathnayake.
The requirement was initially introduced through Gazette Notification No. 2455/29 dated September 25, 2025, which amended the Motor Traffic (Expressways) Regulations No. 1717/14 of August 3, 2011, making the wearing of seat belts compulsory in an effort to reduce the rising number of road accidents and fatalities.
A three-month grace period was initially granted for installing seat belts, which ended on December 25, 2025. However, following public requests, the grace period was subsequently extended from March 20 to June 19, 2026.
