Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh): The Uttar Pradesh government has made significant changes to the Motor Vehicles Act 1988 to address the alarming rate of road accidents and fatalities caused by underage drivers.
The amended law introduces stricter penalties for parents who allow their minor children to drive without a license.
Under the new law, the parents will be subjected to a hefty fine of Rs 25,000 and three years imprisonment. Also, their children will be prohibited from obtaining a license until the age of 25. The order has been issued by Director of Secondary Education Mahendra Dev to the district school inspectors of all the districts.
In his order, Mahendra Dev said that all the district school inspectors should ensure to follow this order in collaboration with the respective schools and transport officers in their respective districts. The updated rule states that individuals under 18 years of age are not permitted to drive a motor vehicle in public areas.
Dr. Suchita Chaturvedi, Member of Uttar Pradesh Governor Rights Protection Commission, said that the primary objective behind this amendment is to address the distressing number of road accidents and fatalities in Uttar Pradesh. According to the data released by experts of KGMU and Lohia Institute, minors between 12-18 age group contitute to 40 per cent of fatalities reported due to road accidents.
The Director in his letter stated that Section 4 of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988 states that a motor vehicle shall not be driven by any underage in public places. If an individual is found violating this rule, they will have to face the consequences. Apart from the penalties, the registration of the vehicle will also be cancelled.
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