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NEW DELHI: Despite a steep increase in penalties and holding parents responsible for juvenile driving, the measures taken against this menace on roads have not proven to be a strong enough deterrent. According to govt data, 2,537 juvenile drivers were killed in road crashes in 2023—though the number was slightly lower than in the previous year.Data show that Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of fatalities involving drivers below the age of 18 with 573 deaths, followed by 226 in Haryana, 219 in Madhya Pradesh, and 187 in Tamil Nadu. Delhi registered 34 such deaths.Haryana also reported the highest number of female juvenile driver fatalities, with 51 deaths in 2023.Although juvenile drivers accounted for only around 3% of the 78,810 driver deaths recorded that year, experts say the figures highlight how difficult it is to make parents and guardians aware of the risk juveniles pose to themselves and to other road users by taking to the wheel.Data from the past five years show that while 2,949 drivers below the age of 18 were killed in 2019, the number dropped to 1,578 in 2020, when traffic movement was significantly restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, such fatalities increased to 1,804 in 2021 and reached an all-time high of 3,446 in 2022.In an effort to curb juvenile driving, the govt amended the Motor Vehicles Act in 2019. Section 199A was introduced in the legislation to hold the guardian or vehicle owner responsible for offences committed by a juvenile. The provisions included a fine of up to Rs 25,000 and cancellation of the vehicle’s registration for one year. The law also specifies that any juvenile involved in a traffic offence will be ineligible to obtain a driving or learner’s licence until the age of 25.
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