Sometimes it’s a desperate attempt to impress peers that makes kids take the wheel, at others it’s the parents who push their kids to drive – due to the snobbish notion that it will make them ‘stand out’. Underage driving is not new in India, but fresh data shows that it is on the rise and creating havoc...
Underage driving is a bigger problem than you think. According to a government report released last year, underage drivers — below 18 years — caused 60,000 accidents between 2012 and 2014. According to the police, the figure is only the tip of the iceberg. Since there is no provision in the Motor Vehicles Act (1988) to prosecute drivers below the age of 18, in most cases the offenders are let off with just a warning. Alarming, since children as young as 10 years are often caught behind the wheel. Police officials are understandably upset. “Why is it the responsibility of only the police to curb underage driving? In such cases, parents should be the first ones to take responsibility, followed by the schools, and the police should come in after them to tackle underage driving,” says an officer. It’s time for parents, students and the departments concerned to realise that under age driving is a shortcut to disaster.
Understanding The Psychology
Why makes some adolescents reckless on the road? The reasons are both physiological and psychological...
Underdeveloped brain: Researchers at Cornell University and Stanford University (in the US) conducted risk-reward studies across a range of age groups. The study measured activity in two areas of the brain – one that triggers impulsive actions and another that reins them in with rationality and caution. Researchers found that when confronted with risky choices, teen brains exhibit twice as much activity in the impulse area as adult brains; the area that expresses restraint lags behind. It’s only after teenagers are in their 20s that the two areas of the brain reach parity.
Inexperience and Immaturity: Teens are novices where driving is concerned. Their understanding of driving is: “If I can get from one point to another I am fine.” They are not experienced enough to handle road hazards appropriately. Even teens who have undergone training sessions make poor decisions on the road. The experience of handling tricky manoeuvres and applying brakes correctly is lacking. The reason for overspeeding is that they don’t have a good sense of how acceleration can affect their response time. Also, the question of following traffic laws doesn’t arise because they are clueless about them.
Peer pressure: The increasing number of underage drivers who are breaking the law can be attributed to peer pressure, along with youthful exuberance. Teenagers are thrilled when they are behind the wheel. There is an unbridled rush of adrenaline which makes them sidestep caution. The vehicle becomes a tool to make a bold statement. It’s the nature of a teenager to believe they can take risks.
Distractions aplenty: Mobile phone calls and associated distractions like texting and surfing aside, driving with peers in the car ups the chances of risks even further. As research has shown, for every additional passenger in the car, the risk increases manifold.
Alcohol use: Driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs and over-the-counter sedatives are also a major contributor to unsafe driving and fatal accidents on the road.
Tanuja Donde, pyschologist
Parents must take the blame
Parents are encouraging underage driving
Parents are buying cars or two-wheelers for their under-18 kids instead of discouraging them from driving. It’s the responsibility of parents to ensure that bike or car keys are not given to their kids, ensure that the vehicle locked, , if possible, hide the keys. If the parents are strict about not letting their children ride a bike, they (children) won’t. If something goes wrong, it would be the parents’ culpability. Parents who sit behind or beside their underage children while they are driving, are also to blame.
Schools should step in
Even schools should discourage underage driving. Just visit any school after classes end, and you will see children in school uniform riding bikes and scooties. How many of them have licences? Eighty per cent of schoolgoing children are under 18 years and don’t have any right to drive.
Road safety approach needs change
I am not convinced about our approach towards road safety. What we are doing now is asking schools to visit our training park, or we go to schools. If I cover one school a day, I will not be able to cover more than 365 schools a year; and there are many more schools in Delhi. So instead of us going to each school, why can’t the schools come to us? We want the involvement of schools in all possible ways.
Road safety workshop for teachers
Talking about road safety plans at every school is not feasible. I’m planning to send letters to schools through the Directorate of Education. One teacher from each school should be made responsible for road safety awareness and education. We will educate these teachers in a separate workshop, either range-wise or zone-wise. We will request principals and the district education officer to participate in these workshops. One teacher will be responsible for road safety in schools at the nodal level. So far, prosecution (of offenders) has been few and far between. After giving letters to all schools and conducting workshops extensive, we plan to post pickets near all schools. We will start challaning underage drivers after school hours, so that the kids don’t miss their classes in between.
Muktesh Chander, special commissioner of police (traffic), New Delhi
Regular workshops needs to be conducted at schools to make students aware of traffic rules and regulations
The way out
1. Individuals should be stopped by parents from taking the wheels until they are 18. Moreover, parents should never gift vehicles to underage kids. Drives should be organised by various transport organisations like RTO to discourage underage driving. Workshops can be held in collaboration with parents in schools and colleges to serve this purpose.
Debdut Mukherjee, class XII, Don Bosco School Park Circus, Kolkata
2. These days underage driving is not even perceived to be a problem. In fact many parents take pride in telling everyone that their underage kid can drive! This mentality should change. Parents should be stopped from making their children take to driving if they are underaged.
Amit Jape, class IX, Rajiv Gandhi Academy (RGA), PACE, Pune
3. Teenagers can be reckless, have mood swings and get carried away by peers. So parents must have a strong voice and ensure that they do not give their children access to cars or two-wheelers. Punishing parents is one aspect, but making children aware is more crucial. Besides, as a society, neighbours, relatives and those around the teens must make it a point to deter them from driving before they are 18. When the deterrence comes from more than one source, kids will think twice before taking a bold step.
Heera Nawaz, teacher, Cambridge Public School-KRP, Bengaluru
4.The licence of the defaulter's parents must be cancelled and repeat offenders should be made to do many hours of social service.
Anupama Ramachandra, teacher, DPS Electronic City, Bengaluru