Dangerous driving by minors

The onlookers are filled with curiosity and fear when the cars of the rich, such as Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Rolls-Royce, worth crores of rupees, are seen on the road. This is because it is the minor children of the rich who often drive them. The cars are seen overspeeding. Accidents caused by such cars in many places in India have been making big news. In Kanpur, a Lamborghini driven by the son of a big trader recently hit six people. A biker and passersby were among the seriously injured. The omission of the name of the rich man's son in the FIR filed by the police had caused a lot of controversy. After a huge public outcry, a case was registered against the rich man's son after examining the CCTV footage.

Even in Kerala, there have been cases of minors driving luxury vehicles, even though there have been no accidents. Such cars, equipped with systems that enables overspeeding in seconds, are a threat to people's lives when they are driven by inexperienced people. The risk of accidents will increase many times if unlicensed minors drive them. In this context, the police cannot be blamed for taking steps to ensure severe punishment for those who drive motor vehicles before the age of 18. The Central Motor Vehicles Act was amended in 2019 and introduced strict penalties, including imprisonment, to prevent minors from driving. However, the law was not strictly implemented in most states, including Kerala.

In a special inspection conducted in Thiruvananthapuram city the other day, 32 people under the age of eighteen were arrested for driving. Since the vehicles driven by such people are a common occurrence, the central law is being strictly implemented in Kerala as well. According to this, if children drive a vehicle, the owner of the RC or the person in possession of the vehicle will be the main accused. The punishment is a fine of Rs 25,000 and imprisonment of up to six months. The minor will be produced before the juvenile court. Depending on the nature of the crime, they may be placed in a juvenile home. In addition, those involved in such cases will not be able to appear for the driving test until the age of 25.

Police say that children with criminal records are roaming around in stolen vehicles. Children involved in drug trafficking gangs and in jewellery theft gangs mostly choose stolen vehicles for various reasons. It is also minor students who are racing on the road day and night.

However, the authorities should also examine whether it is practical to insist that a college student who is over 16 and studying cannot even ride a bike these days. They can also consider giving them a special license to ride small scooters that do not exceed 60 kilometres per hour. In any case, it is hoped that the fact that the vehicle owner will also be held responsible and punished if a minor drives a vehicle will put a stop to this trend.