No ‘brakes’ on underage drivers

It might be fun for underage drivers to race on busy city roads, but thanks to the blind eye turned on this issue by the Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) and parents, everyone on the road, including the drivers, have to pay the price often in terms of human life.
Young drivers in luxury cars blatantly disregard speed limits and manage to go unchecked. Although ITP has launched campaigns to create awareness of traffic rules, it is not taking notice of this critical matter. ITP Spokesman Shams told Pakistan Today, “We have launched several campaigns to create awareness about traffic rules and we are also arranging special lectures to warn people of the dangers of underage driving.” “ITP has a special education wing comprising superintendents and assistant superintendents who visit various schools, colleges and universities to guide youngsters about traffic rules. The SSP traffic also delivered special lectures on several occasions on the negative aspects of underage driving and other traffic violations,” he added.
Shams said youth less than 18 years of age were not allowed to drive, adding that underage driving was a serious issue and the ITP had fixed heavy penalties for violators. “Usually, parents are the ones responsible because they allow their children to use the cars,” Shams said. An ITP official said traffic wardens played the role of a judge on the road.
“A warden can free violators or fine them,” he added. The official said most of the wardens preferred issuing warnings to young drivers instead of fining them and the imposition of fines on premature drivers was basically only for the drivers’ own safety. The official said under serial number fifty of the ITP rule book, a Rs 500 fine had been fixed for violation of the age limit.
A traffic warden who wished not to be named said most parents believed their children would drive responsibly, but parents had “no clue what goes on once the car left the home”.
Recently, a 16-year-old driver killed a man in Sector I-8/3 while seriously injuring the deceased’s wife and daughter. The incident took place as the young driver was racing his cousin who was in another car. Midway in the race, the boy lost control of the car and rammed into the victim’s vehicle head on.
Teen Spirit: Studies reveal that a teenage driver carrying a teenage passenger was 39 percent more likely to die in an accident. The risk jumps to 86 percent with two teen passengers in the car and with three or more teenage passengers, the risk of accident rises even further.
They add that teens were more likely than older drivers to underestimate dangerous situations or not be able to recognise hazardous situations. Teens were more likely than older drivers to speed and allow shorter headways (the distance from the front of one vehicle to the front of the next). The presence of male teenage passengers increased the likelihood of this risky driving behaviour. Compared with other age groups, teens have the lowest rate of seat belt use, experts say.
A resident of sector F/6-2, Professor Amjad said, “Night is the riskiest time for teen drivers.” He was of the view that strict measures on part of the ITP were needed to stop the violation of the age limit. “These drivers pose a serious danger to their own and others safety,” he added.
Ammar Ali, a 17 year old driver, said he went on long drives at least once a week with his friends.
“We never goof about while driving on busy roads, but we do enjoy driving fast on open roads that have little traffic,” Ali said.
He added that he had a group of six friends and all of them had their own cars, “We often arrange racing competitions at night for fun,” he said. Parents, however, claimed that their children were allowed to drive to run small errands only, such as going to market for groceries or for heading to the tuition centre.
“Most parents are busy themselves and do not have the time to drop off their children to school,” Anwar Ali, the father of 16-year-old boy, said. “Not every household can afford to employ a driver. An accident is a ‘natural calamity’ and can happen at any age,” he insisted.
ITP continues to make efforts to maintain traffic laws in the city, but the problem of underage driving persists. Steps need to be taken immediately to enforce the age limit before more lives are lost.