2-wheeler fatalities drop sharply in TN; 40% fall in helmetless deaths
Deaths caused by two-wheelers, too, have reduced, shows data from the Health Systems Project and SCRB
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CHENNAI: Stringently enforcing the helmet mandate has helped cut fatalities by nearly 40 per cent, saving hundreds of lives in the first half of 2025 in Tamil Nadu.
According to data from the State Crime Record Bureau (SCRB), overall road accidents in the State rose slightly by 1.87 per cent to 34,611 up to June 2025 compared to 33,974 in the same period last year. However, fatalities fell by 11.64 per cent, dropping to 8,652 from 9,792 in the first six months of the year.
Deaths caused by two-wheelers, too, have reduced, shows data from the Health Systems Project and SCRB. Till June, 15,552 two-wheeler accidents were recorded, compared to 15,093 in the same period last year. Despite the rise in the number of accidents, fatalities declined to 3,725 till June from 4,310 in the corresponding period in 2024.
Fatalities due to non-wearing of helmets recorded an even sharper fall, to 803 from 1,297, a decline of nearly 38 per cent. In the first half of 2024, deaths due to non-wearing of helmets accounted for nearly one in three two-wheeler fatalities. It has come down to one in five fatalities till June 2025 (21.56 per cent). The fall is stark in the recent months, falling from 211 fatalities in January and 224 in February, to 96 in March, 77 in April, 94 in May, and 101 in June.
A district-wise analysis shows Coimbatore reported the highest number of helmetless fatalities at 50 deaths up to June 2025, followed by Chengalpattu (42), Salem (36), Tiruvannamalai (34), and Krishnagiri (33). Chennai recorded 21 deaths in the same period.
Officials attribute the reduction in fatalities to a combination of stricter enforcement of the helmet rule, awareness campaigns, and police vigilance. While two-wheelers accounted for 44.93 per cent of total accidents in Tamil Nadu this year, their share in fatalities stood at 43.05 per cent.
Road safety experts caution that despite the improvement, the share of helmetless deaths remains a matter of concern. "More than one in five two-wheeler deaths is still linked to not wearing helmets. Unless compliance reaches near-universal levels, avoidable fatalities will continue," said a road safety activist.
