City traffic cops' awareness drive is bearing fruits. Since the Ahmedabad traffic department started classes on road safety in December 2008, the number of cases of road accidents involving minors has come down drastically from 30 in December to nine in January. The department had organised 3,200 lectures on traffic rules in December, followed by 3,500 the next month. Students, teachers and parents of those kids who had violated traffic norms participated in the special classes.

The department believes that the awareness classes played an important role in the decrease of accident cases. Traffic department officials told DNA that the minors were booked for rash driving, triple ridding and driving without proper documents.

DCP traffic MM Anarwala said, "We are holding these classes on regular basis. The aim is to make everyone aware with traffic rules. The parents of minor children should take extra caution as that is necessary for the safety of their kids as well as for others."

Traffic sources said it was often found that youngsters from wealthy families go out on pleasure trips on their parents' car. A visit to any popular school would reveal that almost 90 per cent of the senior students use two-wheelers to commute to schools with the consent of their
parents. The traffic cops have been organising such awareness classes in various parts of the city where the participants are told about traffic rules to be followed while driving any vehicle.

Anarwala further said, "If an underage is caught driving a vehicle he is booked under various sections of the motor vehicle act. However, if the same person is held thrice his or her vehicle is seized by the department".

However, the parents whose children are caught for underage driving often find the lecture sessions boring and say that they are not interested in such lessons.
 
MM Anarwala
DCP (traffic)

The aim is to make everyone aware of traffic rules. Parents should take extra caution as that is necessary for the safety of their children as well as that of others.”

Roshan Kumar/DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication