Donita Jose By Express News Service HYDERABAD: A day after a 16-year-old went rogue on the streets of Bowenpally, killing two members of a family, including a 14-month-old baby, the spotlight has returned to the issue of underage driving. And if the statistics are a good indication, this is one problem that has only grown bigger. As per the latest available data, there has been a 41 per cent increase in the number of children caught driving a motor vehicle in Hyderabad Commissionerate within the first half of 2019 compared to the last. As many as 2,732 have been caught by Hyderabad Traffic Police (HTP) until June 2019. In the neighbouring commissioner of Cyberabad, the number, until August, was 1,553. However, unlike last year when 45 parents were sent to jail, this year not a single parent has been awarded a jail term. A close look at the historical data suggests that in Hyderabad, the number of juvenile offenders has increased steadily since 2017. In the first half of 2017, the police caught 1,761 underage drivers; in 2018, they caught 1,931. This indicates that more and more people have been handing over the keys of cars and motorcycles to their children. Vinod Kammula, the chief functionary of the Indian Federation of Road Safety, believes the issue of underage driving is a grave public hazard. “Parents need to understand that their children are neither mentally or physically able before they turn 18. The youngsters are not briefed by the Road Transport Authority (RTA) on road rules, hence are not certified to drive. Enforcement needs to strengthened to avoid such things,” he said. The police claim that they have indeed gone on an offensive against the offenders. As per the data, 1,932 charge sheets have been filed by HTP against parents/owners of vehicles being driven by minors, caught between January and June 2019. In fact, they have reached out to school managements to send parents a strict message. “It is a serious offence. They (minors) not only put their own lives at risk but also their parents and other road users. We urge parents to not give their vehicles to minors,” said Anil Kumar, Additional CP Traffic, Hyderabad Police.

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