Underage driving surges as awareness efforts stall due to summer vacations

Sensitising residents to the risks involved in underage driving is still an uphill task for the district administration as children, predominantly students, continue violating guidelines, especially during holidays.

Not giving two hoots to the ‘new’ rules on underage driving, children demand they be allowed to drive and parents bow to the psychological pressure. Not only is this dangerous for the underage riders, but it also puts other commuters and pedestrians at risk.

The administration, too, is leaning towards more passive modes of implementing the rules rather than cracking down on violators and their parents. In an effort to be a people-friendly police, traffic personnel normally follow the Gandhian philosophy by presenting roses and chocolates to minor children found violating rules repeatedly instead of using their right to impose heavy penalties against owners of the vehicles.

As no events can be organised at educational institutes during holidays to sensitise children about the dangers of underage driving police officials have tried to exploit platforms such as the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaigns to spread awareness.

The police had earlier roped in office-bearers and activists of social and educational organisations to sensitise all stakeholders about the need for the implementation of new guidelines on underage driving.

Residents have repeatedly been informed that the updated law holds the guardians or owners of the vehicle involved in the offence committed by a juvenile accountable, but all warnings seem to have fallen on deaf ears.

Ahmedgarh DSP Ranjit Singh Bains said workshops and seminars at educational institutes to spread awareness regarding the hazards of underage driving will be resumed when schools reopen after holidays.