Underage Driving: A Necessary Evil To Avoid

[type-r]

It is very important to curb under age driving. Yes I must admit I started by age of 17 (that too Mom gave, Dad never did), but obviously my mom trusted my ability to judge and handle the responsibility. That was in Bangkok though where traffic is at a more sane level.

In India, I drove only above 18 and getting a valid license. Because I feel whenever driving in India, one can encounter an incident and have to deal with cops so being legal on the license front is beneficial.

Just in November, I was hit by two underage boys in a scooty. I was walking on the side of the road and they just crashed in to me causing some injury to me but they just fled the scene so I could not report or do anything. Since then I am supportive of this law more.

 

[Rajvel]

Yes, you are right rajvel people learn much by crunching more miles but that is an major issue for increasing accidents as they don't know what to do in a heavy traffic and suddenly these people would come into our lane with the wrong indicators indicating the opposite direction but they would suddenly jump onto our lane.
To reduce these types of mistakes, each and every people must learn how to drive slower as they come to know about the vehicle's behaviour and second each and every people must learn thoroughly their cycling lessons as cycling helps a person to know how much the wind blows to them and it helps them to balance with the cycle at lower speeds which in turn helps them to be more comfortable with the bikes in a heavy traffic.

Hehehe! These mistakes are not done by teenagers alone. most of the middle aged people are doing and mainly due to lack of driving skill and knowledge. Moreover driving a cycle is totally different from cars and motor cycle.

Yes Rajvel,
The more you drive, you will come into more relaxed driving practices,as you will loose the eager that you had in your first days,though the passion of driving never dies off.

Thats what im saying. After crunching about 40 k kms. One could get a proper experience.

But that doesn't justify an underage driving. Driving maturity also could be attained at proper age. It is the parents who should be counselled first as they give the machine to young lads.

We are not justifying. Just defending.

Some of my fellow TAI members may disagree , but i am completely against those self trained drivers. People learn 2-3 times in parking lot or any open area how to control the steering and on third day declare themselves trained driver and start driving on roads. These are mostly those guys that you can see driving with ORVMs closed, without seatbelt fastened , mobile in hand , driving insanely on wrong side etc. And i think these are the creatures who press accelerator instead of brakes in dangerous emergency situations.
I just want to say there are driving schools to learn how to drive safely . Please do not risk your and other's lives .

I came across a lot of people like this. Who dont even get a proper steering control and saying themselves as proper drivers. This are the most irritiating category of people.
They dont understand driving comes in experience. In my view everyone is a learner with different experience. The roads and vehicles teaches a lots of lessons.

 

[GrandRk]

Yesterday on NH4 i saw one lady ahead of me riding activa. For getting her aside from my way i given 2-3 short honks and as usual she didn't give me side and continued to ride in same way. I changed my lane to overtake her, while passing beside i saw there was a kid standing in front holding activa handles .

After overtaking when i came back to my lane and glanced in my IRVM i was further to see that that lady was busy tying her hairs and that kid was enjoying his ride on NH4

 

[Stefano]

The problem with underage drivers is often one of experience (doing things a more experienced driver wouldn't) and not fully being aware of the rules of the road.

 

[swadesh]

Underage driving today , has became a Fashion and prestige issue, not only for Teenagres, but also for Parents.

Blaming Teenagers is not enough, Parents are equally responsible for this Mess today. These parents allow their kids to drive 2 wheelers for schools and colleges. Which should be stopped completely. Schools should come up with an Alternative, that not to allow any student on 2 Wheeler inside School.

I feel proud of my self today, coz of my dad, He never allowed me to drive till I got my License. And I got my Learners License on my 18th B'day !!! and 6 months after that I got my Permanent one. Then only I was allowed to drive but that too with certain Rules : Always Helmet and Seat Belts

 

[superhornet]

This happened to my friend's nissan terrano a couple of weeks ago. Apparently that kid's parents regularly allowed him to drive that tractor so he could help them with their work in future.


A few days ago i was almost side swiped by a LPG auto rikshaws (unlike diesel's, LPG autos are almost silent) driven by a 12-14 year old. He ignored my turn signal (that i had given 5 seconds before making the turn) and overtook me from the inside (he was going straight). Fortunately i have installed those convex blind spot mirrors on my bike that saved me from crashing that day as i was able to detect him running parallel to me in the last moment and slowed down to let him pass.
I was very pi$$ed off at that moment, but decided to let him go as i thought he's just trying to earn his bread and butter. That wasn't the case. As it turned out (my friend knows where the guy lives) he takes his father's autorikshaw for joyrides everyday when his father returns home for his lunch. And he actually knows about his son taking joyrides in his auto. I still see that kid driving that auto like a maniac on the streets and wonder what would have happened if i didn't had rear view mirrors.

Both of above mentioned incidents show how careless today's parents are regarding underage driving. If they can't teach the importance of road safety and age restriction to their kid, who else would. These kind of things can't be learned in the classes. And the way RTO issues driving license to new applicant's without any kind of tests (atleast in my city), no wonder most people on the road still don't know anything about safe driving.

 

[swadesh]

Sad that People now days are allowing Kids to drive Vehicles. Letting him drive such high power vehicle, which requires, much more expertise, is a crime and his father should have been made to pay the charges for repair, and some sort of Punishment by the Authorities must be given.,, Which Doubt will ever happen in India :)

 

[patil]

Parents of minor motorists to be jailed; vehicle, DL seized (Source:
Parents of minor motorists to be jailed; vehicle, DL seized - Bangalore Mirror)

 

[swadesh]

Parents of minor motorists to be jailed; vehicle, DL seized (Source:
Parents of minor motorists to be jailed; vehicle, DL seized - Bangalore Mirror)

Great :), Never knew about this. Thanks dear. It good to see that certain steps are being taken now for this. This will surely deter Parents from Allowing their Kids to drive and put other's life in Harm.

 

[sethumurugan]

Wonderful topic which I always support that underage driving is very risky to the kid as well the others.

I heard a tale from my friend which was really scarry. An underage kid was driving a bike and hit a doctor who was on monring walking. He passed away and the family registered a case. Court ordered some ammount to be paid to the victim's family. Insurance company denied to make a payment since it was driven by underage kid who did not have lisence.

The father was forced to sell his land and pay the amount.

That is really sad one.

Now my son is 17 and I allow him to drive bike only inside the community or just near by shops. Till date not allowed him to take my car. whereas all of his friends. my sister's son (who is 4/5 years younger than my son) drives car. I have told him to wait for an year and after that I will allow him to drive the car for which he has agreed.

That is better always.

 

[swadesh]

Wonderful topic which I always support that underage driving is very risky to the kid as well the others.

I heard a tale from my friend which was really scarry. An underage kid was driving a bike and hit a doctor who was on monring walking. He passed away and the family registered a case. Court ordered some ammount to be paid to the victim's family. Insurance company denied to make a payment since it was driven by underage kid who did not have lisence.

The father was forced to sell his land and pay the amount.

That is really sad one.

Now my son is 17 and I allow him to drive bike only inside the community or just near by shops. Till date not allowed him to take my car. whereas all of his friends. my sister's son (who is 4/5 years younger than my son) drives car. I have told him to wait for an year and after that I will allow him to drive the car for which he has agreed.

That is better always.

That's the best thing, you can do as a Responsible Father. He will be happy one day, that you did this to him :).

when I was about 14-15, I learned how to drive, Car & Bike, but my Taher and elder brother never Allowed me to take Vehicle onto the Road or area were public is present. I was allowed to drive till market, which was just 2 Kms, and near by temple, etc. But never on the main roads. Only inside the community/Township area. and that too with Proper Seat Belt and Helmet Mandatory !!!

It was only when I was 18, and I got my Learner License, on the same day :), Only then I was allowed to take the vehicle on main Roads.

Now I know and understand the Importance of that. Once I was angry with my Father, but , today i'm Proud for what he did and educated me in real sense !. I'm sure even your son will feel happy and good bout this one day :)

 

[nmm mithra]

Yesterday, i went to the Royal enfield showroom to get my bike serviced. And when i was waiting for the job card to be done for my vehicle a small bulky boy came in his TB 500 (Please note that it was a new bike) to get his bike serviced. I was almost shocked at seeing him driving a TB 500 then i realised that the TB's has lower seating position than any other Re's which has made him to drive one. So after my job card was done the boy was parking his TB and he was about to fall down with his TB as there was a small slope to climb before the plain surface which he was about to park. But luckily the service people caught the TB well in advance.

And the service people advised him not to drive without his driving license. And after he has finished the job card for his vehicle, i just enquired about his schooling and he said that he was doing 7th standard. And then i also advised him to drive the vehicle after he has finished 12 th standard. So in this boy's case it is the parents and the boy who has made a mistake, the boy was so adamant that he needs a bike and the parents had bought him a TB 500.

 

[swadesh]

Seems a Typical case, just like million other Parents, who have the power to buy anything that their Kids demand. They don't even bother to think about their kids safety. It's their Son, if they are not bothered, then so be it, but they forget that, their son is going to put other people's life in danger too, which they have no Rights. I believe, that Police should really start taking very strict actions on the Parents of all the Underage drivers. After all , it's Parents fault, that thy allow their kids to drive without a Proper Driving license or Papers

 

[sethumurugan]

Yesterday, i went to the Royal enfield showroom to get my bike serviced. And when i was waiting for the job card to be done for my vehicle a small bulky boy came in his TB 500 (Please note that it was a new bike) to get his bike serviced. I was almost shocked at seeing him driving a TB 500 then i realised that the TB's has lower seating position than any other Re's which has made him to drive one. So after my job card was done the boy was parking his TB and he was about to fall down with his TB as there was a small slope to climb before the plain surface which he was about to park. But luckily the service people caught the TB well in advance.

And the service people advised him not to drive without his driving license. And after he has finished the job card for his vehicle, i just enquired about his schooling and he said that he was doing 7th standard. And then i also advised him to drive the vehicle after he has finished 12 th standard. So in this boy's case it is the parents and the boy who has made a mistake, the boy was so adamant that he needs a bike and the parents had bought him a TB 500.

That is very sad. There are so many parents like that. They provide whatever the kids wanted for one single reasons.. They can afford it as soon as the kid asked for it. This spoils the other parents those who can not afford also. Kids of those parents also start pestering thier parents. Very bad.

That too in my Home town, its very sad.

 

[Caliber_Swift]

Sir you have rightly pointed that the insurance company refused to pay compensation to the third party as the vehicle was being driven by an under age driver.
My senior (70 yr old) friend lost his only son (who himself was a young father of an infant) due to an accident involving three 14-15 yr old riding a motorcycle and hitting his son's scooter at a crossing. I feel sad for the grandfather who has to struggle to take care of the family at his age of retirement.
This has to change and we should spread the message.
I congratulate Akash for starting a truly relevant debate and other honorable members for their valuable inputs.
Thanks.