Bhubaneswar: The recent deaths of two bikers, riding without wearing helmets, in a crash in Cuttack have once again brought to light a deadly road safety lapse in Odisha, where more than 12,000 two-wheeler riders and pillion riders have lost their lives in accidents over the past seven years for not using the safety gear.In its audit of the functioning of the State Transport Authority (STA) and regional transport offices, tabled in the Odisha assembly on Sept 28, the CAG said that 6,429 people died and 10,437 suffered injuries in road accidents due to not using helmets from 2019 to 2022. Of those killed, 4,161 were riders and 2,268 were pillion riders.The data tabled in the assembly in March showed that 6,483 people died in road accidents in Odisha in 2025. Of them, 3,370, or nearly 52%, were two-wheeler riders. “More than 2,500 of the riders killed last year were not wearing helmets,” a govt official said. Ministry of road transport data shared in the Rajya Sabha in Dec 2025 showed a total of 1,769 riders died in accidents in 2023 and 1,696 in 2024 in Odisha for not wearing helmets.The CAG audit found that failure to wear helmets accounted for a significant share of road fatalities. It noted that despite the Odisha Road Safety Policy’s target of reducing road accidents by 50% and fatalities by 20% by 2020 compared to the 2015 baseline, accident and death figures continued to rise in most years. Odisha recorded 5,739 road deaths in 2023, up from 4,303 in 2015.The audit watchdog pointed to glaring flaws in enforcement. Analysis of Vahan and e-challan data showed that 4,786 cases were booked for “not wearing a helmet” even though the vehicles involved were registered as three- and four-wheelers. Similarly, 2,988 two-wheelers were wrongly challaned for “not wearing a seat belt”. The auditors attributed these anomalies to weak validation controls in the e-challan system and casual enforcement practices.Apart from the faulty challans, the report flagged large-scale non-compliance with road safety norms. It found that 33,920 vehicles caught during enforcement drives were plying without paying motor vehicle tax, yet were not seized as required under law. Another major concern was the non-disposal of 39.55 lakh e-challans worth Rs 1,136.62 crore that remained pending either with transport authorities, police or courts.The CAG recommended stricter enforcement of helmet and seat-belt rules, correction of deficiencies in the e-challan software and stronger monitoring mechanisms to improve road safety and reduce fatalities on Odisha’s roads.Admitting that enforcement has weakened with the shift to online e-challans, a govt official said many violators simply ignore the fines, leaving a large number of challans unpaid. The issue is currently under review, the official added.Meanwhile, promoting helmet use, the STA on Friday posted on X: “If your hair gets messed up, it can be fixed. But if your head is damaged, it cannot. Don’t risk your life for style. Wear a helmet every time you ride a two-wheeler.”Bikash Mohapatra, a road safety volunteer, said public attitude towards helmet use remains a major concern. ”Very few people genuinely view helmets as lifesaving protective gear. The market is flooded with substandard helmets, and many riders wear them only to avoid challans rather than for safety. This mindset needs to change,” he said.