Speed cameras in NSW to detect surprising new road rule breaches

It comes as figures show that on average 15 per cent of deaths on NSW roads annually involve occupants not wearing a seatbelt. Data shows 150 people died while not wearing a seatbelt between 2019 and 2023.

It has been a legal requirement to wear a seatbelt in a vehicle in NSW since 1971.

Premier Chris Minns said on June 26 he "genuinely" believed the new technology would save lives.

"We know that one of the top five decisions that people make is whether or not to wear a seat belt," he said.

"That contributes very strongly to our deaths on our roads and we want to do everything we can to address that in addition to those cameras going out on the 1st of July."

Roads minister John Graham said "wearing a seatbelt doubles a person's chance of survival in a car crash".

"The NSW government is doing everything we can to make sure the simplest safety feature in a car is being used by everyone," he said.

Data from the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics for the 12 months up to May 31, 2024, show that 1,303 people died on Australia's roads, up 10.4 per cent on the 1,180 deaths recorded in 2023.