Under-age Drink and Driving

Source-This post on Under-age Drink and Driving has been created based on the article “Pune crash: Let’s tackle drunk underage driving” published in “Live Mint” on 27 May 2024.

UPSC Syllabus-GS Paper-2– Government Policies and Interventions for Development in various sectors and Issues arising out of their Design and Implementation.

Context-The article highlights the parallels between the tragic accident in Pune involving a 17-year-old driver under the influence of alcohol, which led to the death of two young techies, and the Michigan, US, school shooting in November 2021, where a 15-year-old killed four of his schoolmates.
In the latter case, the court convicted both the offender, who was tried as an adult, and his parents for failing to prevent their son from committing the crime.

What contentious issues does society need to address due to recent incidents involving underage or drunk drivers?

Society needs to confront several contentious issues raised by incidents involving underage or intoxicated drivers. These include whether juveniles who commit serious crimes should be tried as adults, the accountability of parents in such cases, and strategies for preventing similar incidents in the future.

What may be the reasons behind these accidents?

1) Not Trying Juveniles as Adults- While the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, permits the trial of juveniles aged 16-18 as adults for serious offenses, this is not common practice and requires modification.

2) Parental Responsibility- The parents of the 17-year-old involved in the Pune incident may bear responsibility as they may have permitted their underage son to drive their Porsche, despite being aware that he lacked a valid driving license.

3) Lack of Societal Responsibility- It’s not only parents but also society in general that should reflect on these issues. The significance of social bonds and a feeling of belonging were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting isolation, potentially influencing the behavior of children during their crucial developmental stages.

Read more- Road Accidents in India

What should be the way forward?

1) Civil society in India should respond proactively to incidents of drunk driving by implementing initiatives like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) in the US. Establishing a MADD chapter in India could help reduce drunk-driving deaths and save lives.

2) Measures such as fostering social connectedness and promoting responsible behavior can play a crucial role in preventing such tragedies.

Question for practice

Emphasize the contributions of parents and society in reducing reckless driving behavior among children.