Ganjam district has recorded a rise in helmet violations despite a Rs 1,000 fine, while road fatalities increased by 14.69% in the first eight months of the year even as the number of reported crashes fell, according to officials cited by the Times of India.
The district registered 975 helmet-rule violation cases in August, collecting Rs 9.75 lakh in fines. The number rose to 1,061 cases in September, when fines totalled Rs 10.61 lakh. The figures indicate that enforcement has not yet translated into consistent helmet use among two-wheeler riders.
In Berhampur, traffic police are recording around 120 Motor Vehicle Act violations every day. The violations include riding without helmets and are being identified both by enforcement teams and artificial-intelligence cameras installed at traffic signals under the city’s integrated traffic management system.
Berhampur traffic police registered 3,500 motor vehicle violation cases in September. By October 22, they had recorded another 2,715 cases, according to sources cited in the report. Traffic police inspector-in-charge Purna Chandra Bhatta said the daily figure amounted to about 120 detected violators, with a Rs 1,000 fine collected from each person violating the helmet rule.
The enforcement figures come against a more serious road-safety trend in the district. Ganjam recorded 603 road mishaps between January and August this year, compared with 616 during the corresponding period in 2025, a reduction of 2.1%. However, the number of people killed in crashes increased to 359 from 313 during the same period, according to official sources.
The district road safety committee, headed by collector Keerthi Vassan V, has expressed concern over the rise in fatalities and stressed stricter enforcement of helmet rules and action against rash driving. The collector has also urged government employees to wear helmets while riding two-wheelers and seat belts while travelling in four-wheelers. The administration’s stated focus remains on tightening compliance and reducing fatal road incidents across the district.
