Why we need to tackle under-age driving

Under-age driving is becoming a national epidemic in our society today as a lot of teenagers go for joyrides in their parents’ vehicles, overlooking the risk and consequences of such acts. These teenagers who are between the ages of 15 and 17, end up causing accidents on the roads.  But the major concern is how […]

Under-age driving is becoming a national epidemic in our society today as a lot of teenagers go for joyrides in their parents’ vehicles, overlooking the risk and consequences of such acts. These teenagers who are between the ages of 15 and 17, end up causing accidents on the roads.  But the major concern is how they are able to get access to the vehicles. Where are the parents/ guardians?  Most of these teenagers don’t know the rules for using roads and have no drivers license. I understand the fact that peer pressure often times contributes to the rush to drive cars by young people, so they must be checked. Parents and guardians should ensure that people under their care who are not trained to drive do not have access to vehicles. The spate of accidents across the country is high and all hands must be on deck to tackle it. We cannot leave the job to road safety officials alone.   Also, any under-age person found behind the wheels should be dealt with to serve as deterrent to others. 

 Ndaglaya Stephanie Luka is a 300 -hundred level student of the Department of Mass Communications, University of Maiduguri.