Spiralling road mishaps in Uttarakhand having left the common people scared, statistics reveal that there has been a significant rise in the accidents caused by teenage drivers. The data of accidents compiled over the past three years has revealed that 39 cases of road accidents caused by teenage drivers were reported in 2012, while the figures were 79 in 2013 and 371 in 2014.
Police say that they apprehend that the figures for this year would be much higher than the previous three years. Several reasons like over-speeding, rash driving, triple-riding and drunk driving aside from the grimly deplorable conditions of the roads are spawning the rising number of accidents. Teenage students in Dehradun as elsewhere are witnessed violating traffic rules with impunity with the traffic rule enforcers generally tending to look the other way.
Residents complain that aside from the adolescents breaking the traffic rules under influence of booze or drugs, the dilapidated roads across the city must be held responsible for the spurt in the number of accidents. “Roads are dug up and they take hell of time to have them duly filled up. Besides, craters gape right on the roads, resembling death holes. Add to this rash driving, drunk driving and underage driving, the grim picture of the vulnerability of the common people’s life on the roads is complete,” said Ram Krishan Bhatt, resident of Vikaslok.
Dehradun being hub of education, the number of students riding two-wheelers and even driving cars is huge. And what is alarming is that the parents are allowing their wards to go for this despite being aware of the fact that underage driving sans license is in defiance of the traffic rules.
By way of a silver lining in the otherwise bleak scenario, on Tuesday, Dehradun police launched a drive against underage driving in the city and seized several vehicles. The areas where rash driving is common have been identified and police officials have been deputed there with the direction to compound such cars aside from imposing challans on the traffic rule violators.
The day- long drive revealed that the police have warned as many as 73 parents, saying that they would act stern unless they stop their wards below 18 from driving cars and riding two-wheelers.
SSP Dr Sadanand Date said they were pretty serious over this issue in view of spiraling number of accidents befalling the district. “Underage driving is one of the main reasons leading to accidents. We are determined to end it. A total of 28 vehicles were seized and 38 challans were imposed under MV Act on the students. Over 70 parents were called to the spots and warned. In other traffic violations, 19 vehicles were seized and 33 challans were forwarded to the court,” he said.
Notably, Section 180 of Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 provides for punishment of imprisonment or fine or both for the offence of an owner or persons in-charge of vehicle permitting an unlicensed person or under-aged person to drive it.
Besides, Section 181 of Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 provides for punishment of imprisonment or fine or both for the offence of driving by an under-aged person.