New Delhi: Underage driving poses a serious threat on Delhi roads. Last year, traffic police challaned 125 minors for the offence. In 2024, the figure was over 350. This year, till Feb 15, nine minors were challaned, compared to five during the same period last year. Many of them are fascinated by driving, police say, and often slip away with the keys to their parents’ cars or two-wheeler. When the authorities interact with these parents following an accident, most claim they were in the dark and assure police they will take steps to ensure it does not happen again.Apart from registering a case against such a minor for underage driving, action is also taken against the owner of the vehicle under section 199A of Motor Vehicles Act, which holds guardians or owners of vehicles liable when a minor commits a traffic offence.
Last Oct, a 16-year-old girl was apprehended after the car she was driving fatally hit a 64-year-old man who was crossing a road in Shahbad Dairy. Later, a case was filed against the girl’s mother. A 32-year-old factory worker died after a car driven by a minor dragged him for nearly 600 metres in northwest Delhi’s Samaypur Badli last Aug. The minor was apprehended and a case was filed against his sister for allowing him to take the wheel.There has been a sharp rise in the number of challans issued for allowing unauthorised people to drive. In 2024, over 1.6 lakh such cases were recorded in Delhi, which jumped to more than 2.6 lakh the next year. A senior police officer said this is the result of owners handing over their cars or two-wheelers to people without valid licences, either out of trust or for convenience. Others borrow vehicles for short trips, assuming they won’t be caught or meet with accidents.Additional commissioner of police (traffic) Dinesh Gupta said the department engages with schools to educate both students and parents about the legal consequences of underage driving. Former deputy commissioner of transport Anil Chhikara said children should be made aware of this from a young age, a lesson often missing both at home and in schools. Strong enforcement is also critical, he said. “Several other factors contribute to underage driving. Many children enjoy the thrill of driving. In some cases, parents find the cost of school transport high or face the problem of last-mile connectivity, prompting them to buy vehicles that their kids can drive,” Chhikara said.
