Road accidents like the infamous ISKCON Bridge accident by Tathya Patel, and Rakshit Chaurasia’s Vadodara hit-and-run case are increasing  in Gujarat. A recent incident in Ahmedabad’s Kubernagar saw a 15-year-old learning to drive an XUV accidentally press the accelerator instead of the brake, leading to a fatal accident. 

Over the past year, Gujarat has recorded 727 accidents caused by underage drivers, averaging nearly two accidents per day.

In 2023-24, Tamil Nadu topped the list of states with the highest number of underage driving accidents, recording 2,063 cases, followed by Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Gujarat ranks seventh in this list. Experts believe that the rise in such accidents is not solely the fault of minors but also of their parents, who encourage them to drive at an early age.

Many parents allow their teenagers to ride two-wheelers as soon as they enter adolescence, and some even begin teaching them to drive cars. While traffic police conduct awareness drives near schools and tuition classes occasionally, there is a need for a more consistent and rigorous campaign to curb underage driving.

According to Section 199A of the Motor Vehicles Act, if an accident is caused by an underage driver, the parents or vehicle owner can be held responsible. They may face up to three years in prison and a fine of ₹25,000.

Also read:

Horror in Kubernagar: 15-year-old in XUV runs over man in fatal accident

Vadodara youth whose reckless driving killed 1 and injured 4 persons claims he wasn’t drunk