Stricter helmet checks save hundreds on Tamil Nadu roads

Chennai, Sep 15 (IANS) A tough police enforcement of helmet rules, backed by statewide awareness drives, has paid off in Tamil Nadu, bringing a sharp drop in road deaths during the first half of 2025.

Data shows helmetless riding fatalities have fallen by almost 40 per cent, even as overall accidents inched up slightly.

According to figures from the State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB), overall road accidents in the state rose marginally by 1.87 per cent -- from 33,974 cases up to June 2024 to 34,611 cases in the corresponding period this year.

However, fatalities fell by 11.64 per cent, with 8,652 deaths reported in the first six months of 2025 compared to 9,792 last year.

The improvement is most visible among two-wheeler users. Till June, Tamil Nadu recorded 15,552 two-wheeler accidents, up from 15,093 in the same period of 2024.

Despite this increase, fatalities dropped sharply to 3,725 from 4,310, underscoring the impact of helmet compliance.

Data from the Health Systems Project and SCRB shows that deaths caused by non-wearing of helmets fell to 803 in the first half of 2025, down from 1,297 during the same period last year -- a decline of nearly 38 per cent.

In early 2024, one in three two-wheeler deaths was linked to riders without helmets. By June 2025, the share had dropped to one in five (21.56 per cent). The monthly trend indicates significant gains: helmetless fatalities reduced from 211 in January and 224 in February to 96 in March, 77 in April, 94 in May, and 101 in June.

A district-wise breakdown shows Coimbatore leading with 50 helmetless deaths, followed by Chengalpattu (42), Salem (36), Tiruvannamalai (34), and Krishnagiri (33). Chennai reported 21 such deaths in the same period.

Officials credit the fall to strict helmet enforcement, regular awareness campaigns, and police vigilance across the state.

Two-wheelers made up 44.93 per cent of all road accidents this year, but their share in fatalities was slightly lower at 43.05 per cent.

Safety experts emphasise that the progress must be sustained through consistent checks and public cooperation. “The numbers prove that enforcement works,” one official noted, adding that long-term behavioural change will be the key to making Tamil Nadu’s roads significantly safer.

--IANS

aal/dpb