Mukhtar Ahmad Qureshi
Teen driving in Kashmir is a controversial growing issue. More and more youths are driving on the roads with minimum or no training and licensure. The crux of the problem here lies in the fact that Kashmir deals with issue of social attitude very differently than others.
Teen driving: A new trend in Kashmir
Driving has, to a large extent, become an initiation rite into adulthood. The beautiful landscapes and curving roads make driving a necessity as well as an enjoyable activity. Most teenagers even all from the rural areas get licensed very early, often before it is legally permissible.
What contributes to this trend:
1. Cultural Norm: It is an essential part of independent living, especially among boys, and, therefore, they are taught driving rather early.
2. Peer Pressure: When it comes to teenagers, it is all about being a status symbol, and, therefore, most of them get behind the wheels even without sufficient training.
3. Parental Influence. Some parents allow their children to drive simply because they feel it is harmless, unaware of the risks and legal implications.
Risks of teen driving
Teenagers driving pose a lot of risks on the roads, and their inexperience puts them at a greater risk of accidents. The risks posed by teen driving in Kashmir are;
1. Lack of skills and experience
Driving is a highly technical skill requiring judgments and quick reflexes. Teenagers do not possess these and end up making bad decisions at the critical moment. The hilly nature of Kashmir, with sharp bends and unpredictable weather, does not make the situation any better.
2. Overconfidence and recklessness
Most teenagers feel that danger lurks nowhere behind the wheels. They pass off highly honed driving skills and, in the process, speed and jump red lights and indulge in irresponsible manoeuvres.
3. Distraction and mobile phones
The proliferation of mobile phones has introduced yet another danger. Most teenagers will write, chat, or even record video footages while driving, they are highly vulnerable to accidents.
4. Driving without license
Most Kashmir teen drivers are driving cars without a license. This is against book knowledge and also the fact that they haven’t been taught nor tested on the roads.
5. Inadequate vehicle upkeep
Most young people drive old cars, even handed down to them by their parents. In most instances, such cars do not come with safety gadgets; thus, there is a likelihood of breakdown whenever such drivers experience accidents.
Impact of accidents on teenage drivers
The effects of accidents among teenage drivers are serious and cut across individuals, families, and society in general.
1. Loss of lives: One of the major causes of losing lives through accidents is the teenagers. Each life lost has an impact upon their family and society.
2. Injuries and disabilities: Accident survivors are the ones who suffer from disabilities all their lives. This creates further issues in their life emotionally and financially as well.
3. Legal inconveniences: Teenagers involved in accidents might experience some legal actions that impair their future opportunities.
4. Economic costs: Accidents result in vehicle damage, medical expenses, and losses from lost productivity, further straining the region.
Specific challenges in Kashmir
1. Difficult terrain: The mountainous roads along with frequent landslides and dilapidated infrastructure make driving dangerous by itself. Teenagers, by virtue of their lack of experience, are not adequately prepared to tackle such driving conditions.
2. Weather conditions: There may be snow, fog, and rains that make it more difficult for young drivers to enjoy safe travel.
3. Lack of awareness: In most schools, students undergo very little education on road safety, and thus many of them do not know much about traffic laws and the rules to be observed during drive.
4. Cultural attitudes: Most people across various cultures view driving as a requirement rather than a privilege. This then makes them needlessly lenient on licensing and safety
Solutions towards the problem: A multifaceted approach
To address teen driving in Kashmir, education, enforcement, and community engagement should be designed with a multipronged approach.
1. Road safety education
In schools: There needs to be an integration of road safety into school curricula when children can learn about basic traffic rules, the perils of reckless driving, and the need for defensive driving.
Awareness campaigns: The NGOs, local authorities, and media houses should collaborate to run campaigns on the risks attached to teen driving and encourage people to adopt safe practices.
2. Strict law enforcement
Licensing: Authorities should only issue driving licenses to those who satisfy the legal age and have acquired the appropriate training.
Penalties: Severe penalties for driving without a license, over speeding, among other offenses can help check the excesses.
3. Improved quality of training for drivers
Driving institutes: The presence of the driving institutes, licensed and following proper norms around cities and towns, offers quality training to the teenagers.
Parental responsibility: Parents must ensure that their children undergo quality training and acquire the license before allowing them to drive.
4. Community measures
Role of the elders: Community elders and religious leaders may act as a catalyst for socialization in relation to underage driving.
Youth engagements: Engagements that involve youth in alternative activities other than driving can keep them away from posing unnecessary danger.
Signs and signals: There shall be adequate road signs and functional traffic lights to assist drivers including the adolescent in a more efficient manner.
A collective ownership
It is not a legal or administrative issue, it is more of a social cause that lies beyond the realm of some departmental concern. Parents, teachers, police officials, and civil society should join hands to create an environment where safety outweighs convenience and societal norm.
This can be done by following traffic rules and stopping underage driving by parents.
Educators must make road safety an integral part of their curriculum so that the student may develop lifelong habits.
The police must be conscious of enforcing traffic rules, and must take active steps in creating awareness regarding the consequences of underage driving.
The risk factors need to be taught to the teenagers and to be conscious and responsible to protect themselves as well as others around them. It is a matter of great urgency that teenage driving in Kashmir must be dealt with immediately. The grand beauty in the valley’s landscape should not be desecrated by the tragedy of road accidents of this young life. We can only ensure that all the growing teenage drivers become adults who respect the rules of the road through the development of safety cultures, accountability, and education.
Addressing this challenge is not only preventing accidents but actually a way of ensuring the future of a generation that promises to shape up a better tomorrow for Kashmir.
(The author is a teacher by profession. He hails from Boniyar, Baramulla and can be reached at [email protected])
