Automobile Desk: Nowadays in our country, one often sees such a picture which is enough to invite a major accident. Children of just 15-16 years of age are seen driving cars or bikes fearlessly on the streets and roads. Many times, parents ignore it considering it to be a hobby or a minor stubbornness of their children and hand over the keys of the house to them. But just think, when this foolishness costs the life of an innocent person on the road, then who will be responsible? Recently, the Transport Minister of Kerala has shown a mirror to the parents by making very strict comments on this issue. He has bluntly said that if parents are not reluctant to give cars to their children, then it is better that they sell their vehicles.
This debate has been further fueled by the recent tragic incident in Cheranallur, Kochi, where a speeding Mercedes car, allegedly driven by a minor, killed a man running a roadside eatery. After this accident, once again the question has deepened that how do the keys of such powerful and expensive vehicles come into the hands of young teenagers? According to the rules of the Motor Vehicle Act, the minimum age for driving a car or bike on public roads in India has been fixed at 18 years. There is limited provision only for teenagers of sixteen years of age to drive two-wheelers with capacity less than 50cc, that too with prescribed license conditions. Despite this, the process of handing over vehicles to minors by ignoring the rules is not stopping.
This negligence is now becoming very costly in the eyes of the law. Section 199A of the Motor Vehicles Act clearly states that if a minor is caught driving a vehicle or causes an accident on the road, then not only the child but also his parents or the owner of the vehicle will be held directly guilty. According to law experts, in such cases, there is a provision of heavy fine of up to Rs 25,000 on parents and even jail sentence of up to 3 years. At the same time, if a major road accident occurs, then strict action is taken under the Juvenile Justice Board like sending the minor to a juvenile home.
Parents often make the mistake of assuming that if the child is driving around the house or on quiet streets of the colony, then there will be no problem. But the actual reality on the road is different. Sensing sudden danger, taking right decisions at the last moment and handling heavy traffic pressure requires experience, which teenage children do not have. No matter how many advanced features or automatic gearboxes are provided in today's modern cars, they cannot replace human intelligence and driving experience. Therefore, before succumbing to the insistence of children, it is very important to think that the car coming out of the home parking lot should not become a death sentence for anyone. Protecting children and respecting the law begins in our own homes.