Youths account for more than 40 per cent of those fined by transport authorities from January for driving two-wheelers without a licence. Underage driving is a common sight in the city.
Utilising the holiday season as an excuse, many teenagers are seen riding two-wheelers on city roads and suburbs. In many instances, parents accompany them as pillion riders, oblivious to the fact that underage driving is an offence.
“Most of the youths are negligent when it comes to road safety. Even though we regularly conduct awareness programmes on road safety in schools and colleges,” says K. Venkatakrishnan, Regional Transport Officer of the Tiruchi West Zone.
As per traffic rules, the minimum age to apply for a valid motorcycle driving licence is 18, and driving without one attracts a fine of ₹5,000. However, this rule is openly broken.
“Educational institutions have restrictions on underage students riding two-wheelers. But the students find ways to use two-wheelers outside the college,” Mr. Venkatakrishnan says.
According to Assistant Commissioner (Traffic) Murugesan, a large number of teenagers without a driver's licence borrow motorbikes from their parents. “They don't ride their two-wheelers to schools or colleges since the institutions insist on licences to permit parking. However this is not the case outside, as they drive to shops and tuition centres,” he says.
Over-speeding in two-wheelers is common among the youngsters. “There has been an increase in the number of instances of youth indulging in rash driving,” Mr. Murugesan told The Hindu.
On several occasions, youths have been fined for riding motorbikes of their parents, authorities say.
