Planning to gift a bike or scooter to your minor son or daughter? Think again. You may end up putting them on the fast track to death. Most boys have the tendency to zoom past and go at ‘full throttle’ to put the roads ‘on fire’ and girls, going by current trends, do not seem to lag behind their male counterparts.
Peer pressure, making a fashion statement or simply the ‘thrill’ of taking risks makes many teenagers pester their parents for a ‘bike’ and the latter also give in to their demands unmindful of the dangers involved.
A counselling programme for minor drivers and their parents was conducted by the Traffic Police here on Monday.
Some students convince their parents that they could reach the college on time if they drive down while others pester their parents for a 200 cc bike on which they have no control.
Some parents think that their children should know driving to run errands whenever needed. They were, however, not keen on their learning safe driving practices or securing a license.
“I have not given two-wheelers to my children though they are about to complete their engineering course. During emergencies I allow them to use my car,” said Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) V. Suresh Babu and his words must have made an impact on the parents. The maximum number of death of two-wheeler riders occur due to head injuries and wearing helmets could have saved their lives. Drunken driving is another major cause for accident deaths. Car drivers and passengers should understand the importance of wearing a seat belt as it could minimise the risk in accidents.
It goes to the credit of the City Police that the counselling for minor drivers and their parents from 2010 has resulted in a decline in the number of minors driving two-wheelers.
Numbers
The number of minors caught and counselled has come down from 562 in 2011 to 520 2012 (till date).
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M. Raja Rao and Inspector TVRK Kumar underlined the importance of road safety.
Parents should remember that their children should first get a driving license instead of ‘allowing them on the fast track of death’.
