Transport Minister Bimal Rathnayake told Parliament today that under the newly enforced seat belt law, families can install an additional seat belt in the middle of the back seat to accommodate a child when travelling as a family of five.
“All we are saying is fix a seat belt for every required seat. We have no power to say only three or four people can travel in a vehicle. What matters is that every passenger has a seat belt,” he said.
The Minister explained that vehicles already fitted with seat belts must have them worn by passengers, while vehicles without seat belts were given a one‑year period to install them. The law became mandatory from September 19.
He noted the positive impact of the regulation was evident in the recent 11‑vehicle expressway accident involving school students, where all passengers in a bus were wearing seat belts. As a result, the incident ended with only minor injuries.
Rathnayake emphasized that the law is designed to ensure safety rather than restrict passenger numbers.
“If a family has three children and two parents, they can install an extra seat belt in the middle of the back seat for one child. We just want seat belts in vehicles,” he said. (Newswire)
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