Buckle up: NSW seatbelt offences slashed
A safety drive on seatbelt non-compliance is working, with a 60 per cent drop in offences since camera enforcement and fines were introduced 12 months ago.
In that time, 140 million vehicles have been checked, with over 99 per cent of drivers and passengers doing the right thing.
But camera images collected since its introduction have also revealed that some 88 per cent of fines related to incorrect seatbelt use, with nearly two-thirds of these fines issued to drivers whose passengers were not buckled up properly.
Wearing a seatbelt correctly doubles the chances of surviving a crash and reduces the risk of serious injury, and the Government is calling on NSW drivers to follow the law and wear their seatbelts properly.
In 2024, 34 people died on NSW roads while not wearing a seatbelt. So far this year, it’s another 11 lives. Over five years, 163 people have died not wearing a seatbelt, with 85 per cent of those deaths in regional NSW.
While progress is being made, more than 200 fatalities have been recorded on NSW roads this year – that’s one person a day dying on our roads.
The seatbelt enforcement program is just one of several new measures introduced to stop people dying on NSW roads.
Other initiatives include average speed camera trials for light vehicles, 2,700 additional mobile speed camera enforcement sites and reforms through the Demerit Point Integrity Taskforce.
Motorists are reminded that proper seatbelt use means wearing the lap belt low and firm across the hips, with the sash crossing the chest and mid-shoulder – never under the arm.
Each offence attracts a $423 fine and three demerit points, or six during double demerit periods. Every dollar raised through seatbelt cameras is reinvested directly into road safety improvements.
These fines are completely avoidable if drivers and their passengers are doing the right thing.
The success of the data-driven camera program is a clear demonstration of the Government’s commitment to building a better NSW, combining enforcement, education and investment to help keep NSW families and communities safe on the road.
Read the full release here: Buckle up: NSW seatbelt offences slashed under Minns Labor Government safety drive.