Sri Lanka, Aug. 4 -- The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal to extend by three months the grace period granted for the mandatory installation of seatbelts in vehicles travelling on expressways.

The mandatory seatbelt requirement, introduced under the Motor Traffic Act, requires passengers occupying all seats in vehicles using expressways to wear seatbelts as part of efforts to reduce road traffic fatalities and minimise injuries caused by accidents.

To facilitate compliance, the Government had earlier granted a concessionary period for owners of vehicles not originally fitted with seatbelts by the manufacturer to retrofit the required safety equipment. That grace period expired on June 19, 2026.

Following requests from vehicl...