‘Haunts me’: Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison calls for seatbelt safety as road toll climbs

Wearing a seatbelt incorrectly can be nearly as dangerous as not wearing one at all – and it’s a foolish gamble, says NSW Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison.

Today marks 200 days into the year, and already, more than 200 lives have been lost on NSW roads. That’s more than one death a day and as your Roads Minister, this statistic haunts me.

Every one of those people was someone’s child, parent, sibling or friend. They left for work, school, or to see loved ones, and never made it home. Their families are now living a nightmare no one should face.

As Minister, road safety is my top priority, but saving lives will take all of us working together.

In 2024, 34 people who died on our roads were not wearing a seatbelt. So far this year, another 11 people have died for the same reason. Over five years, 163 people have died, with 85 per cent of those deaths in regional NSW.

Last year, the Minns Labor Government expanded mobile phone detection cameras to include seatbelt offences.

NSW Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison. NewsWire / Nikki Short

Since then, over 140 million vehicles have been checked, and seatbelt compliance has improved by 60 per cent. In July 2024, one in every 735 drivers was fined. By June this year, it was down to one in 1712.

Most importantly, we are seeing fewer seatbelt related deaths in 2025. That’s progress. Compliance is working. But there’s more work to do. Of the 125,000 infringements issued, 88 per cent were for incorrectly worn seatbelts.

Passengers are still being caught not wearing their seatbelts correctly. Picture: NSW Government

Let me be clear: wearing a seatbelt incorrectly can be nearly as dangerous as not wearing one at all. It puts your life at risk and can cause significant and lifelong injuries. It puts other lives at risk. It’s a foolish gamble.

A seatbelt must sit low and flat across your hips, and the sash must cross the middle of your chest and shoulder, not under your arm, not twisted, not behind your back. These aren’t just bureaucratic guidelines, they can mean the difference between walking away from a crash, dying or experiencing lifelong trauma.

Our Centre for Road Safety’s CrashLab testing shows an incorrectly worn seatbelt in a crash at just 60km/h can cause fatal injuries to the liver, spleen or abdomen.

The Minns Government will always invest in road safety and this year’s Budget saw $2.8 billion put toward road safety over the next four years. But no amount of infrastructure can replace personal responsibility.

We’ve come a long way since 1971 when NSW became one of the first jurisdictions to mandate seatbelts.

But too many people still aren’t wearing them properly and too many families are paying the price.

Seatbelts save lives, but only if they’re worn correctly and I make no apologies for doing everything we can to keep NSW road users alive.

Road trauma is absolutely preventable and not inevitable.

Buckle up properly, and let’s work together so no more families have to lose a loved one on our roads.

Originally published as ‘Haunts me’: Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison calls for seatbelt safety as road toll climbs