THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Instances of underage driving in the state have been on the rise, putting the lives of road users in danger. As many as 402 juveniles were booked by the police — mostly in northern districts — during a week-long crackdown on illegal driving in April this year.
Monitored by traffic nodal officers, the police conducted the special drive from April 9 to 15, following information about spurt in such incidents. In all the incidents, cases were registered under Section 199 A of the Motor Vehicle Act, which mandates punitive action against the guardian of the underage driver or the vehicle owner.
According to data with the police, of the 402 cases registered across the state, 338 were in northern districts. Malappuram district alone recorded 145 cases, followed by Palakkad with 74 cases. Thrissur district recorded 55 cases while Kasaragod and Kannur districts saw 31 and 20 cases, respectively. In Kozhikode district, 12 such cases were registered.
Crackdown on underage driving to continue
In the southern districts, Kollam accounted for 38 cases, followed by Thiruvananthapuram with 11 cases.
As per the Motor Vehicle Act, when an offence is committed by a juvenile, the guardian of the juvenile or the owner of the motor vehicle shall be deemed to be guilty of the contravention. The guardian or owner shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend up to three years and with a fine of Rs 25,000.
Also, the registration of the vehicle shall be cancelled for 12 months. The section also stipulates that juveniles should not be granted a driving licence or a learner’s licence until they attain the age of 25 years.
“We are taking strong action against underage driving. Cases are being taken against the parents and vehicle owners if they are found to have willingly allowed the children do drive the vehicle.
The special drive was carried out to curb the tendency of juveniles getting behind the wheels. The offensive against the trend will continue,” said an officer associated with the special drive.
Meanwhile, police sources said blocking such juveniles from accessing driving licences till they reach 25 years is not happening due to technical issues in the Sarathi Parivahan Sewa, the portal developed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for issuing driving licences.