'Use PTMs, assembly to create awareness among parents against underage driving'

New Delhi: "Morning assembly, parent-teacher meets (PTMs) and meetings of School Management Committees (SMCs) should be used for creating awareness among students and their parents against underage driving," revealed the letter wrote by Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) to Directorate of Education, Delhi government. The letter was written in the second week of July.

Accessed by Millennium Post, the letter written by DCPCR official Rita Singh reads that looking at the growing menace of underage driving, rigid rules and stricter implementation is the dire need of the day.

The letter further stated that considering the number of cases brought to our notice, dealing with underage driving are a serious consequence to not only the users of the road but also the minors driving the vehicle.

"Considering the increasing number of incidents of underage driving, the preservation of rights of the children is growing difficult by the day. Not only the fellow pedestrians and other users of the road are subjected to danger but also the child driving suffers adverse consequences. Children are the future of the country and our most valuable assets," reads the letter.

The letter further added that according to the Motor Vehicle Act 1988, the children driving before attaining the age of 18 years are a serious threat as they are not mature enough to inculcate proper and sufficient driving sense and are more likely to cause harm to themselves and other users of the road.

According to DCPCR letter, they are not aware of the safety measures that they should take while driving.

Meaning, parents are the one to teach their children things at a proper time and shall hence, allow driving after the legal age has been attained.

"In the case of the child has been caught driving without any authority, his parents are held responsible.

"You may bring awareness among the parents of the children by discussing these issues in the PTMs/SMCs meeting, morning assembly or workshops may be conducted for this purpose," DCPCR wrote in the letter to Directorate of Education adding that commission would like to be briefed about the action taken report in thirty days time.