Parents’ role can’t be overlooked, their guidance matters

Are parents to be blamed for their kids driving recklessly on roads leading to accidents?

Amend laws to punish parents too?

There is spurt in road accidents as teenagers drive recklessly on roads in the tricity. In Mohali, an 18-year-old boy killed three innocent bread earners. He didn’t have a valid driving licence. This shows that parents of such children are not at all bothered about their as well innocent commuters’ lives. Laws should be amended to punish parents, who allow their underage children to drive cars and two-wheelers. It’s parents’ fault as they pamper their kids to drive cars and other vehicles.

Capt Amar Jeet (retd), Mohali

Don’t spoil future of kids

Parents are responsible for teenagers driving recklessly on the tricity roads. Super rich class gift expensive vehicles to their kids just to show off their wealth. Underage children drive vehicles of all sorts on roads without any fear. If one has extra money, he/she should donate for a noble cause instead of succumbing to desires of children and spoiling their future prospects.

Rajan Dev Sharma, Chandigarh

Convince schoolkids not to drive

Parents are to be blamed equally for giving car keys to their children, who are under the influence of liquor and don’t have a valid driving licence. It is also important that schoolchildren are convinced to avoid driving till they get valid driving licence. Parents, whose children are caught on the wrong side of the law, must be penalised.

Col TBS Bedi (retd), Mohali

Rash driving common among teenagers

Teenagers are full of energy and have an urge for adventures. Rash driving is common amongst teenagers. Parents should not teach their children to drive until they turn 18. Moreover, even 18 plus kids should not be given their own cars till the time their parents feel that they are grown up to drive safely.

Priyam Aggarwal, Chandigarh

Children are under peer pressure

Parents can be blamed to a certain extent as a teenage child is under the influence of his/her peers and may demand a car or two-wheeler from them. It’s duty of parents to make their kids understand that underage driving is neither safe for them nor for other people on roads. Parents also need to understand that underage driving is dangerous for minors. Efforts must be made to make children aware of dangers of underage driving.

Shefali Kanwar, Mohali

Parents of such kids embarrassed too

No parent wants his/her teenage kid without driving licence turn into a dare devil speedster and risk his/her own life and that of other road users. It’s normally brats of effluent families, who violate laws. Such youngsters turn aggressive in a split second while driving and do not want to be left behind anyone, who overtakes them. This causes serious road accidents. Parents too find such kids embarrassing. But it’s too late for them as they have failed to instil level-headedness in their kids.

SC LUTHRA, Chandigarh

None can be allowed to escape law

Accidents and injuries involving underage children happen every day. While youngsters are out looking for harmless fun parents are held accountable for their oversight and indulgence. Parents don’t think that borrowing a vehicle to cover a short distance is a big deal. This is illegal and a case of parents’ negligence. No one can be exempted from the law. So, to drive vehicle, even if it is for show, one must be 18 years of age and possess a licence.

Vijay Malia, Chandigarh

Undue affection spoils kids

Recent recklessly driving incident highlights upbringing of children. Parents are at fault for giving vehicle keys to their children when they are not fit for driving. Allowing children to sit behind steering wheel instead of giving hockey or bat to play or a book to read shows parents’ undue affection. This often spoils kids. Easy money, luxury and show off cause accidents in which innocent lives are lost.

Opinder Kaur Sekhon, Chandigarh

Punish parents of erring children

Due to increase in income during the last two decades almost every family has all sorts of vehicles. This has lead to increase in underage driving, which causes fatal accidents. Parents, who allow their underage children without valid licence to drive, should be punished irrespective of their status or influence in political circles. This will have a cascading effect and help in controlling accidents caused by underage drivers on city roads.

KC Rana, Chandigarh

Strict regulations can check underage driving

Road accidents have become a headache for the public. Parents boast of their wealth and pamper their kids. Why parents permit their wards to drive vehicles when they don’t have a valid driving licence? Parents should wake up and encourage their children not to drive till they have attained the right age. Strict regulations can check underage driving and reduce accidents in the tricity.

MR Bhateja, Nayagaon

Counsel teenagers not to drive

The sight of children in school uniforms driving vehicles is common today. Teenage road accidents are on the rise. Their and fellow citizens lives are in danger. They have to be counselled on underage driving and the risks involved. Parents should keep in their children safe so that they can lead a healthy and prosperous life.

Sanjana Sharma, Chandigarh

Law enforcement agencies must step in

Rash driving by teenagers is a problem faced by all parents. Teenagers zipping in busy streets on their motorbikes and in cars is a common sight in the city. Though the responsibility of parents is at writ large, the law making and enforcing agencies must step in to finish the problem forever.

Gopal Mittal, Panchkula

Parents responsible for kids’ activities

Youngsters, who boast of owning luxurious vehicles, take to driving even if they possess valid driving licence or not. Similarly, some parents take pride while watching their kids drive without realising that it could lead to fatal accidents. In such situation, parents are responsible for all eventualities of their children’s acts. They should be liable to bear all expenses of the victim’s family.

Gobind Ahuja, Chandigarh

Keep children under control

Owning or driving vehicle is one of the most triumphant moment in a teenager’s life and often dangerous too. There are many teenagers driving on the city roads. Parents do not follow the proper age limit rule when it comes to their children driving vehicles. Also, youngsters love the thrill of speed. The problem is with teenagers, who tend to be impulsive and fearless. It is parent’s duty to control their wards.

Akshar Kumar Singla, Sangrur

Parents equally responsible

Blame lies on parents, whose children drive vehicles recklessly causing mayhem on city roads. Some parents give in to the pressure of their children, some do it to show off their affluence and some really are ignorant or unaware of the whereabouts of their kids and their cars. If accidents happen, in all cases parents should be deemed guilty.

Bubby Soin, Chandigarh

Only parents can make the difference

Children should be guided and advised by their parents about dangers of underage driving. The school authorities can also play a vital role in curbing this problem. Seminars regarding road safety, poster making competitions and debates on the issue should be held regularly in schools so as to inculcate the sense of safe driving among teenagers. But it is the parents only, who can make a difference by strictly not letting their children drive.

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi, Chandigarh

Teenagers not mature enough to drive

Teenagers are not mature enough to drive any vehicle. Parents are responsible for their teenaged children driving recklessly on roads. They are careless towards their children. They are so busy in their life that they forget about activities of their children. According to a view, two of the most common stereotypes in driving are the teenagers, who are maniacs behind the wheel, and the elderly, who are a menace.

Adish Sood, Amloh

Ensure teenagers know safety rules

Parents are solely to be blamed for their teenagers driving without a driving license and under the influence of liquor. According to the law, teenagers, who have learner’s license, aren’t supposed to drive alone or without supervision. Parents must consider age limit when allowing their wards to drive. They must ensure that their wards are acquainted with road safety rules, before entrusting them keys of any vehicle.

Simran Sidhu, Chandigarh

Lessons are learnt the hard way

It is carelessness on the part of parents to let their child sit behind the steering wheel and that too without driving licence. Behavioural counselling at schools can mould mindset at the tender age. All parents love their children. Parents need to learn from those, who have erred while dealing with their children. Or they would learn lessons the hard way.

Lalit Bharadwaj, Panchkula

Keep sentiments under control

Parents of teenagers driving recklessly are rather more responsible than their children. Parents hand over keys of vehicle to their children with a soft warning to drive slowly and safely. Sometimes parents even offer driving seat to a child when the family is travelling together. Parents should control their sentiments and not allow lapses on their part. They should educate their child about the consequences of underage driving.

Balbir Singh Batra, Mohali

Mostly pampered kids get into trouble

No doubt parents are fully responsible for reckless driving of their teenage children. How can children take away vehicles without parents’ permission? Mostly, children of the rich and politicians are pampered and given enough money for partying and expensive cars, which often proves fatal.

Sukhwant Bhullar, Chandigarh

Strict action need of the hour

Parents allowing their underage children drive vehicles cannot be left out from blame. Children from well to do families with high end vehicles are the most dangerous on roads. How can parents allow their underage children drive without valid driving license? Also, children driving vehicles on roads in inebriated condition shows that they have no restrictions. Strict action should be taken on children and their parents to curb fatal accidents and prevent loss of lives.

Wg Cdr Jasbir singh Minhas (Retd), Mohali

Give exemplary punishment

Only parents should be blamed for the reckless driving of their children because it’s they, who handover car keys to them. No doubt youngsters don’t follow law or rules. There is need to give exemplary punishment to both child and his/her parents so others do not dare to allow their underage ward to drive. People must rase their voice against accidents in which innocent lives are snuffed out.

Vidya Sagar Garg, Panchkula

No one willing to fix accountability

Recently, innocent lives were lost due to reckless driving by a teenager. There have been similar instances in the past as well, but no one is willing to accept the blame or fix the responsibility. Alcoholism, substance abuse, mobile use while driving, sheer thrill of speeding are some of the reasons for reckless driving among the adolescents and teenagers. To a large extent parents are also responsible for inculcating such behaviour among the children. Primarily it’s money, which spoils teenagers.

Dr Anil Kumar Yadav, Chandigarh

Don’t give keys of vehicle to kids

Underage driving is a major concern. Teenage children should be guided and advised by their parents about dangers of underage driving. Parents should not handover keys of their expensive vehicles to their wards. They are totally responsible for allowing their underage children drive without licence. Drinking and driving is a crime. So, parents must change attitude of children towards driving. They must not succumb to children’s demands.

Gurwinder Bhullar, Chandigarh

Don’t bow to peer pressure

Many lives are shattered by underage drivers going for a joyride in their parents or relatives vehicles. Parents should familiarise themselves with risks associated with underage driving. Teen drivers aged 16 to 19 years are four times more likely to crash than older drivers. Inexperience is the reason, why teenagers underestimate hazardous situations. Flouting law by underage drivers can be attributed to peer pressure. Tell children to avoid peer pressure.

Sanjay Chopra, Mohali

Society must apprise parents of their duties

Underage driving proves that parents and society is negligent about their responsibility towards children. We allow our kids to drive high-end cars without apprising them about danger to their and others life on the road. Society must point out to negligent parents about their duties. This aspect of social parenting is important to prevent vulgar show off and safeguards those commuting on roads as well kids.

Sukhpal Singh, Chandigarh

Become role models for kids

Parents must become role models for their school going children. If children are allowed to drive and violate laws, they will not become law-abiding citizens when they grow up. It is parents’ responsibility to educate them about traffic rules. Driving is not only about operating a machine, but also maturity and judgement. A new law to check underage driving should be enacted and implemented in letter and spirit.

Lives are more important

Fatal accidents on roads involving teenagers not eligible for driving have increased considerably. Parents allow their wards to undertake such misadventures by giving them keys of vehicles. They should educate their children about perils of underage driving. There are rules to punish parents for such acts of their children and these must be implemented strictly. Lives are important and must be saved.

Bharat Bhushan Sharma, Chandigarh

Teach lessons to spoilt brats

Deaths due to road accident is classified as homicide not amounting to murder and is bailable offence. There must be harsh punishment for guardians in case their underage wards are caught driving. Challaning speeding drivers at night would reduce fatalities. Imbibe self responsibility among teenagers. Instil fear of the law to control spoilt brats. Guardians are role models for their children. They should follow traffic rules.

Charu Malhotra, Mohali

Blame Parents for giving liberty to kids

Parents are to be blamed because they give liberty to underage children to drive vehicles. Even in Ambala City children of 12 years have learnt to drive cars. They drive to their coaching centres on parents vehicles without knowing that slight judgement error could snuff out innocent lives.

Simran Sood, Ambala

Hold traffic rules awareness camps

Certain traffic rules are frequently violated by commuters especially teenagers. Still people do not sensitise teenagers to traffic rules, which they flout with impunity. Normally, our parents take risk and give keys of their vehicles to children. We might not be sure that child is ready for driving on road. Parents should not allow their wards without a valid licence to drive vehicles. Schools and colleges must educate young students about road safety. Camps should be organised to apprise children about traffic rules.

SK Khosla, Chandigarh

QUESTION

Vaccination centres with the capacity of inoculating 10,000 persons per day are underutilised in Chandigarh. The UT Administration is able to inoculate only around 2,000 beneficiaries in a day. What steps should be taken to enhance the vaccination coverage in the UT?

Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to openhouse@tribunemail.com