Cuttack/Bhubaneswar: Head injuries led to the death of at least 1,696 two-wheeler users in Odisha last year, all of whom were not using helmets while on road, according to data released by the Commerce and Transport (C&T) department Wednesday.
According to the C&T department, the state reported 5,490 two-wheeler accidents in 2024, resulting in 3,017 fatalities. “Of these, 1,696 deaths were linked directly to the victims not wearing helmets. Over the last three years, 5,160 lives could have been saved had helmets been used properly,” the department’s analysis said. Helmets are mandatory for both two-wheeler riders and pillion riders, but enforcement remains a challenge. Last year alone, authorities detected 7,89,015 helmet rule violations across the state.
Violators were penalised under the Motor Vehicles Act, and in many cases, counselled to change their mindset, the department said in a statement. According to a senior C&T department official, helmets play a vital role in reducing road fatalities. “The cost of a helmet is nothing when compared to the value of a life,” the official said, adding, “The department, in coordination with the police, has intensified helmet checking drives and plans to scale up awareness campaigns.”
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The state government has also emphasised the need to study road accident causes more closely to design targeted safety measures. With stricter enforcement and greater public cooperation, authorities hope to reduce preventable road deaths in the coming years, the official pointed out.