Three days ago we lost two young boys in a terrible accident on one of our highways. Both were school-going children and were driving a high-end Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV). In their preteens, the boys somehow laid their hands on the SUV and decided to go for a joyride on the highway. From the CCTV footage, one can easily deduce that there were other vehicles also, and most likely the three SUVs were headed for a common destination and were indulging in a friendly race. Suddenly the slowest of the three SUVs rams into a truck parked on the highway.
Legal experts are divided on the issue. A truck is not supposed to be parked on the highway. On many highways, there are specific bays where trucks can be parked. The vehicle owner has a right to drive his/her vehicle along the length of the tarmac on one-sided highways anywhere in the world.
However, having said that one cannot lose sight of the fact that the driver of this car was a minor and did not have the requisite license to drive this vehicle. The fact that on first sight, it appeared a case of rash driving and any trained driver having seen the truck was parked dead stationary would have applied brakes and avoided the truck at any cost. This is clearly a case of a half-naked, untrained driver taking to the steering wheel to have fun.
The actual owner of the vehicle is to blame for handing over the keys of the vehicle to this kid. There are specific provisions in the law that end this. God forbid, if it was not a truck but a hatchback civilian car parked by driver to take a leak than the number of innocents killed could have been much higher.
The parents must be careful and understand that till children reach the legal age of driving they should not be handed over keys of the car.
This was indeed a tragic incident. Our sympathies with the affected families.
