Indians have for years taken an ‘arrey, chalta hai yaar‘ attitude with regards to traffic rules. We see bikers riding on the footpath, people deliberately driving the wrong way on one-way roads and countless other forms of traffic rule violations daily. And how often do you step out, notice an underage kid riding a bike or car, and think “How can his parents be so irresponsible?”. Quite often I’m guessing. Because sadly, this is not a rare occurrence.
But the Hyderabad traffic police have now decided to take strict action in the case of underage driving.
According to NDTV, to put a curb on minors driving on public roads, the Hyderabad traffic police are arresting the parents of the child found behind the wheel.
In just the last two months, they have arrested 26 parents after their minor kids were caught driving.
Anil Kumar, Joint Commission of Traffic Police, Hyderabad who is at the helm of this initiative says:
“In March, 20 parents were sent to jail by the court and this month six parents have been jailed.”
The full-fledged program developed by the Hyderabad traffic police includes compulsory counselling sessions to registering of First Information Reports (FIRs). All with the aim to enlighten and counsel both the children and parents.
This stern initiative was brought to place after a reported increase in incidents of minors getting involved in accidents.
Speaking about the new reform, Mr Kumar adds:
“A minor was sent to jail for one month and we are continuing this drive to send a message to society that minors should not be allowed to drive because driving not only endangers their life but others too.”
At a time when traffic is at an all-time worst, having a child behind the wheel is the last thing we need. No matter how skilled he/she may be, they must be taught to follow the rules which are in place for their and their peers’ safety. As harsh as the reform may seem to some, if we are to put a stop to this problem, parents need to be held accountable for the actions of their offsprings. The rest of the country can also take a page out of the Hyderabad traffic police’s book and follow suit with such actions. Kudos to these guys!