6 challans in 5 months for underage driving

Nikhila Pant Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, June 26

Even as the children below 18 years of age are not legally allowed to drive two-wheelers or any other vehicle, underage driving is rampant in the city.

While traffic police are active and issue challans for other traffic offences, they seem to be turning a blind eye to teenagers zipping past on city roads.

The traffic police issued only six challans for underage driving between January and May this year.

With the city being a hub of coaching centres, children as young as 13-14 years can be seen riding two-wheelers and those aged between 15-16 years can be seen driving cars as they make their way to the coaching centres.

If this number is compared with that of challans issued for other offences such as riding with helmet or jumping red lights, the issue becomes even more glaring.

Between the same period this year, the traffic police issued challans 1,670 for those riding two-wheelers without wearing helmets.

About 1,450 drivers and riders were fined for jumping red lights.

It is common to see teenage students risking their lives by riding two-wheelers at break-neck speed even on busy roads.

While the rules specify that the owners of the vehicles or the parents will be held liable or responsible in case an underage child is found behind the wheel in case of an accident, the law is hardly proving to be a deterrent for the offenders.

Speeding is one of the major causes of fatal road accidents in the state as well as in the country.

A significant number of victims are below 20 years of age. A couple of states have managed to apply brakes on underage driving and successfully brought down the rising number of young causalities.

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