Rourkela: Despite enforcement drives and penalties, Rourkela police district saw 64 road accident fatalities involving people not wearing helmets this year till Nov 10, while Sundargarh saw 70 deaths till Sept 30. Though Sundargarh police district has seen a decline in the number of fatalities compared to 108 in 2024 and 88 in 2025, Rourkela has seen a constant rise, with 45 in all of 2025 and 37 in 2024.Rourkela police data show that besides the 64 deaths this year, 69 people suffered grievous injuries and 27 sustained minor wounds. In 2025, 30 people were grievously injured, and 24 suffered minor wounds. The corresponding figures for 2024 were 27 and 18.Police sources said helmet compliance among two-wheeler riders remains low despite periodic enforcement drives. Triple riding and riding without helmets continue to be seen in several parts of the city.Rourkela traffic DSP Sudarsan Panda said police will intensify enforcement drives in the coming days.The situation remains a concern across Sundargarh district as well.Police data for 2026 till Sept 30 of the 70 deaths, 52 were riders and 18 pillion riders, apart from 65 grievous and 23 minor injuries.In 2024, of the 108 people, 72 were riders and 36 pillion riders, while 66 suffered grievous injuries and 20 minor wounds.In 2025, the toll dropped to 88, comprising 62 riders and 26 pillion riders. Fifty-three people suffered grievous injuries and 27 sustained minor wounds.Sundargarh superintendent of police (SP) Amritpal Kaur said regular motor vehicle enforcement drives, including checks against drunk driving, were being conducted across the district.“Two highway patrolling teams have been deployed along state highway-10, particularly at accident-prone locations. Five police stations — Birmitrapur, Rajgangpur, Bargaon, Sadar and Hemgir — have been identified as highly accident-prone,” Kaur said, adding that GPS-enabled vehicles have been deployed in two shifts to prevent accidents and improve road safety.Residents, however, said enforcement alone would not work unless riders realised the importance of helmets.“Riders should wear a helmet for their own safety. More stringent action should be taken against violators,” said S K Senapati, a senior citizen from Chhend.An earlier ‘No Helmet, No Petrol’ campaign at fuel stations has also largely faded away, with petrol pumps now routinely serving riders without helmets.