Nearly a year ago, two 15-year-old boys riding a motorcycle were fatally knocked down by a police van in Ayanavaram. Though police personnel were blamed for the accident, which led to violent protests alleging negligence on the part of the police driver, the issue of underage drivers did not get much notice.
Six months later, a class 12 student who did not have a driving licence and was riding his father’s bike, was run over by an MTC bus on Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai. The victim’s relatives went on a rampage, damaging public property and causing traffic congestion.
Two minors doing motorcycle stunts on the same Outer Ring Road near Poonamallee in November last year skidded and died on the spot.
City traffic police officials say underage driving is a menace. Underage drivers are not only a threat to themselves but also to other motorists and pedestrians, they say.
Recently, an eight-year-old boy riding a two-wheeler with two boys on pillion were caught while they went on a merry ride in Egmore. The mother of the boy shouted at the road safety activist who stopped the vehicle without realising that it was an offence. His father came and begged them to let off the boy.
Social activists blame parents and school managements for failing to rein in young children.
“During summer vacation, many underage persons can be seen riding bikes on the roads without any safety gear,” says Kasi Viswanathan of Citizen For Safe Roads, a voluntary organisation.
“Parents and school heads should be educated on this subject. They should convey the message to the students during morning prayers. Through parent teachers meetings, school heads should urge the parents not to encourage their wards to drive vehicles. It is the fault of parents and they fail to realise the consequences,” said K. Balasubramanian, retired assistant educational officer of Chennai Corporation.
Steps taken by police
The city traffic police conducted an awareness campaign on the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act that restrict minors from driving two-wheelers and bar owners of vehicles from allowing minors to drive their vehicles. The campaign sought to educate the people on the danger of allowing minors to drive two-wheelers.
Joint Commissioner of Police K. Bhavaneeswari said, “We continue to conduct the special drive across streets and lanes. If minors are caught driving two-wheelers, we temporarily impound the vehicles and ask the parents to come in person. We release the vehicle to only the owners/parents and impose a fine too.”
Experts’ opinion
V.S. Suresh, an advocate dealing with motor vehicle accident cases, said as per the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, no person under the age of 18 should drive a motor vehicle in any public place. The provision permits any person who is 16 years old to drive a motorcycle with engine capacity not exceeding 50 cc. “Nowadays, there is no 50 cc vehicle on the market. The children are using vehicles more than the stipulated cc. We are seeing umpteen number of cases involving students below 18 years, mostly 10th and plus two students. Victims of accidents involving minor drivers find it difficult to get compensation from insurance companies,” he said.
Educating offenders
Sometimes police do enforce the law. Recently, 14-year-old Raghuraman (name changed) was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board after he reportedly violated traffic rules. He rode his motorcycle without a helmet and narrowly missed injuring a person. He was asked to go to his school and explain the incident, which caused inconvenience to the public, in front of the entire assembly.
A few days ago, a 16-year-old and his friend, both caught driving, were posted with the traffic police of Kilpauk Police Station to assist them during peak hours in regulating traffic on weekends for a month. The process is being supervised by the Child Welfare Officer of the concerned jurisdictional police station. The Inspector of police will submit a report to the Board after a month.
In other cases, the Board has sent juvenile offenders to old age homes so they are sensitised about causing injury to elderly persons. “The idea is to make them aware and empathise with the people and their community. In future they will be more cautious about their actions. And many have realised that,” said a member.
Members of the Board say nearly 35% of cases that came before them related to underage driving. But, of late, there has been a dip in the number of cases. In 2015, 69 cases related to underage driving came before the Board, and 53 in 2016. This year, until recently, some seven cases have appeared. “Many are let go by the police after a warning. But it is important parents and schools ensure that no child rides motorcycles. It can be very dangerous,” said another member from the Board.
Members say that they have also written to the Department of School Education to monitor schools and tuition centres to which students come driving cars and motorcycles.
