Underage Driving: Why Children and Teenagers Should Not Be Allowed To Drive A Motor Vehicle

Throughout India, it is a common sight to see children as young as nine or 10 years of age driving confidently while parents proudly watch them.

Recently, several teenagers 'enjoyed' taking up the Kiki challenge whereby they needed to jump out of a moving car, perform some physical activities and jump into the moving car again.

The above-mentioned examples point toward a dangerous trend - an increasing number of teenagers and younger children are beginning to defy motor vehicle rules.

How does it all begin

Most of the time, it is the parents who encourage underage driving. I have seen many parents prodding their young children to drive two-wheelers (and not bicycles) when they run errands.

Who encourages children to drive?

In most cases, it's either the parents or some other relative. While they teach children to drive, they don't bother to tell children about safe driving practices, or that children below 18 are not allowed to drive a motor vehicle.

Often, when children are prevented from driving a vehicle, they put forth these questions: 'But, why aren't we allowed to drive?' I have also seen children asking their parents that if they can handle an android phone at the age of seven or eight, then why not motor vehicles?

Interesting, isn't it? As parents, we should know the answers to the questions our children pose about not being allowed to drive.

What the law says about motor vehicles

1.The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, defines the terms motor vehicle under S.2 (28) as follows: 'Motor vehicle' or 'Vehicle' means any mechanically propelled vehicle adapted for use upon roads whether the power of propulsion is transmitted thereto from an external or internal source and includes a chassis to which a body has not been attached and a trailer; but does not include a vehicle running upon fixed rails or a vehicle of a special type adapted for use only in a factory or in any other enclosed premises or, a vehicle having less than four wheels fitted with engine capacity of not exceeding 1 [twenty-five cubic centimeters (cc)].

These are the vehicles that are driven by a majority of underage drivers. While most parents believe that such vehicles are out of the scope of the law, the reality is 'They are NOT'!

2.The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, with its latest amendments strictly prohibits issuing licenses to individuals who are under 18. However, there is a relaxation for age only for getting a learner's license for a motorcycle without gear not exceeding 50cc. The law says that a learner's license can be availed by individuals who have attained 16 years of age and the vehicle capacity should not exceed 50cc. However, children cannot drive light motor vehicles (even if it is without gear) without the parents being liable for their driving.

Why children shouldn't drive

Driving motor vehicles, including light vehicles, requires an individual to be cognitively mature. As parents, we need to understand that although our children feel thrilled by driving a vehicle, their brain isn't mature enough to handle that 'thrill'. Children may invariably make mistakes while handling the throttle, gears, steering, clutch, and brake.

I was a witness to one such incident involving a little boy and his neighbor. The child wanted to test drive the neighbor's new bike. So, the neighbor allowed the child to drive while he sat behind, guiding the child. But, all of a sudden, the boy increased the speed and the vehicle skidded. Both the driver (the child) and the pillion rider (the adult ) were thrown off the bike. While the boy sustained minor injuries on his leg, the adult hit an electric pole and suffered a major head injury.

The consequences of the accident caused by underage driving are psychologically and physically traumatic as also, legally exhausting. On the one hand, parents agonize over what has happened to their child and feel guilty about allowing her to drive. On the other hand, they feel troubled by the various procedures involved - medical treatment and hospitalization, not to mention, the legal procedures to be faced such as cross-examinations by the prosecution and the insurance company lawyers.

If the child causes an accident and thereby, death or grievous harm, then the parents may be held vicariously liable for letting the child drive a vehicle illegally and without monitoring.

We shouldn't make the mistake of thinking that penalties are minor in cases of motor vehicle accidents. The penalties may be clubbed with Indian Penal Code provisions and the child may also need to go through court procedures even though he is a minor. Such cases are covered by the Juvenile Justice Board, which may not allow bail if the circumstances vouch that the child would again commit the same mistake if he is allowed to go home. The recent amendment of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Amendment Act, 2015, and decisions of the courts also suggest that, if a child is above 16 years and had committed heinous offenses, including hit and run with a motor vehicle, she may even be referred to regular criminal courts and treated like an adult.

What parents must do to set an example

Children look towards parents as their role models. Therefore, parents should be careful not to set a bad example for their children. So, as parents, we must:

• Follow safe driving rules such as wearing helmets and seatbelts, not overspeeding or unnecessarily honking horns, and carrying all the necessary documents.
• Do not violate traffic rules even when there is no traffic police around, especially at traffic signals - many of us jump signals thinking that we can get away with a simple fine! But, that's not fine with our children. They learn from us to violate traffic rules and bribe, only to land in bigger trouble, later in life.
• If a child is involved in causing an accident, as parents, we must never try to hide or destroy the evidence, including the fact that the driver was an underage minor. Accept the mistake and let the law of the land prevail. This will help the child to get early relief from prolonged legal procedures. He may have to undergo counseling, although the bail and bond conditions may demand his and his parents' presence regularly at the designated counseling centers. However, this will not hamper his studies and future life if the family takes the issue seriously and follow the laid-down procedures.
• The child must be taught to provide first aid to the victim and then call her parents to help her cope further. In case of graver accidents, the child must also be taught to call the ambulance to help the victim. Always remember, such acts will convince the courts that even though the child committed a mistake, she is willing to reform herself. This will help in reducing penal sentences.
• If the court prescribes community service for the child who has caused the accident or has been caught by the police for underage driving and violating traffic rules, he should not be allowed/advised to skip the sentence. This will help him understand why society needs law-abiding citizens. It may also motivate him to become a cause ambassador.

Together, let us create a society where our children learn to fly high, not to crash, but to fly higher.