Under-age driving - Action against parents - India
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NEW DELHI: With increasing number of road accidents involving vehicles driven by under-age boys, Union Minister Renuka Chowdhary on Tuesday said parents of such children should face the music.
"We will write to the Road Transport Ministry to take stringent action against the parents," the Women and Child Development Minister said reacting to the recent incident on Gurgaon Expressway where a car carrying three teenagers and allegedly driven by an under-age boy met with a fatal mishap.
Yeah, blame the parents for everything. Smart move - Idiot!
Oh, and she also suggested that cell phones should be banned in schools. All the best with that (Kill joy).
Holding the parents responsible for what their kids are doing, hmm. How many kids do you know who actually obey everything their folks tell them? Hell - almost everyone I know - at one point or another - did sneak out of the house with the keys to their dad's car.
Some parents let their kids drive around. Some even buy them their own cars. But regardless of how the kids landed up with the car - my point is - WHY BLAME THE PARENTS?
You can teach your kids about what is right, what is wrong. But at the end of the day - the only thing that matters (and should matter) is the individual's decision/choice, the effort put in by that individual.
Next time there is someone on a murder trial, would the jury/judge entertain a defence motion that states - " It's not my fault, it's in my genes - OR - my parents should be on a trial, they didn't raise me right! "
If your kid fails his math exam, do you go and tell the teacher to appear for the re-examination? (regardless of how good a teacher may or may not be). Do you walk up to the teacher and yell at her? Is the teacher grounded for a week, without phone privileges?
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Children have no idea about the risks involved!
Ha! Are you talking about kids in the 1st grade? Renuka thinks that the kids are as stupid as her! Do credit the kids with some intelligence. They are not as naive as you may think.
The one's who do take out the car - ARE VERY WELL AWARE ABOUT THE RISKS - not just the driving risks, but also the risks of getting caught. And that is probably the reason they do it. It's called being a rebel and having fun.
Under-age driving is wrong. Yes I have done it too. My dad didn't get blamed for it. There was no reason to blame him. It was my decision. Yes it was wrong and if anyone should be held responsible for it, it should be me.
And about the traffic incident/accident, well it's not like grown ups don't bang their cars or run over people or end up in fatal accidents. In this case, it just happened to be under-age divers off on a joy ride that didn't end the way they thought it would. Shit happens! Sorry for the family's loss. But blaming the parents for this... that's just stupid.
20 Opinions:
Can understand your rage from your point of view, but what do you suggest otherwise?
Shall we let the Govt go to hell and let the public manhandle these kids who are smart enough to be called adults?
Something needs to be done.
This is 'something' - lets do it.
That's a pathetic approach.
Blaming the parents for underage driving is just stupid.
If one doesn't have a solution, that doesn't mean that any nonsense coming to one's head should be considered as a solution.
From a parent's point of view: I may not have full control over my kids but since they are mine, I would like to take responsibilty for their actions. If I want the public to act with responsibility (like obeying the trafic rules etc.), dont I owe something back to the public? When I sent my kids to school, I do hope that those who are behind the wheels does show some consideration while they cross the street. I do not think that all kids are smart as an adult.
I think Renuka might have thought from a Mother's point of view.. just my thought..
Raj.. u missed the main point..Adult... one becomes an adult at a certain age and then your views are acceptable. Some kids may have the maturity of an adult even before this age but that needs to be ignored if you need to think about the rest.
Let my kids do what they want when they become and adult. The constitution grants them their rights and if they want they still can come back to me for their faults. This imperfect adult of a mother would still like to take responsibility.
Renuka wasn't thinking at all - that's my view.
Happy - let's talk logic here. It's not just you, but everyone would want everyone else to behave responsibly.
That does not imply (by any stretch of one's imagination) that a guardian should be held responsible for the mistakes committed by his ward.
If my son were to commit a crime with sufficient evidence against him, no matter how bad I want to take the blame for the crime, I CAN NOT!
It's not like acquiring a bad-debt or buying out a loan agreement on discount.
You can't just pass on the blame to the parents.
You don't think all kids are smart. hmm but you do agree that they do have a reasonable level of common sense. Don't you?
I mean we are talking about kids here who can drive. Surely, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to assume that these kids are aware of what happens when you hit the gas pedal, or when one hits the brakes.
They definitely are aware of the risk they are taking if they were to speed their car on the wrong side of the highway.
Just because they are aware of the risks involved, doesn't mean they wont do it. Hell - at times, the only reason to do it, is because of the risks involved.
And none of this has anything to do with the parents.
Assigning responsibility is different from passing the blame.
Assign responsibility to the person who committed the error. Do not pass on the blame to the parents of that individual.
This makes sense in hindi movies.. not in real life.
If someone doesn't have money and turns out to become a thief/burglar and is arrested, would it be logical to make the STATE or the NATION or the Govt. or the Parents to share the blame along with that individual?
The grounds being - I was not given an employment.
The govt. didn't control the commodity prices effectively.
My parents didn't arrange for me to get a decent enough education.
My teachers in school were horrible and couldn't explain anything to me.
Each person has to take responsibility for his own actions. simply because no one else can live your life for you.
As much as one may want to, You can not live your son's life. He has to do it on his own.
It has to be his decisions, his choices.
How can anyone be held accountable for the decisions taken by another person.. even if it is your own flesh and blood.
It doesn't work that way.
We are responsible for our own actions. The sooner people realise that. The better.
Happy - it really doesn't matter what you would LIKE to do or what you DON'T like to do.
I am trying to make a logical point. Not an emotional one.
I would LIKE to do plenty of things. I would LIKE to blame everyone else for all the screw ups I have ever done.
Would it be logical to do that - NO!
I don't think the kids in question (in the gurgaon thing) were 5 year olds who didn't know what they were doing or getting into.
One can prepare their wards for an exam. But if the ward fails, it's the ward who has to give the re-exam. Not the parents. Not the teachers.
It's as simple as that.
You as a parent do the best you can do. But that doesn't mean that it will necessarily yield the desired result.
If it doesn't .. sure everyone is disappointed. but the one who FAILED THE SUBJECT is the Student. and THAT STUDENT is the one who will give the re-exam. No one else can do it for him (legally anyways). Regardless of how much anyone may LIKE to do it.
I am not being emotional Raj.. a parent is there for a reason, so is the govt. And if all parents were perfect and all governemnts were perfect, we would have had a perfect society...
So until a child (let me not use the word kid) becomes an adult, there ought to certain rules which should guide them. Let it be from the parent or from the govt itself.
How much ever I think my parents are perfect, I will be dishonest if I dont admit that I have at times felt my parents could have done better in certain matters, since I myself was not matured at that age.
Maybe we think that a child of this generation is more matured, but that is a fantasy in my opinion when it comes to certain aspects.
I also agree with yor main point that is taking responsibility for once own actions... one cannot continue blaming once parents or govt or whatever, once you have realized who you are!
This comes with self realization.. and at a certain age.
Rules ARE in place.
You think the parents said - go beta.. have an accident and kill yourself and your friends?
Unless they said something along those lines, the parents CANT be held responsible.
You think the underage driver of that car went out with the intent to being killed??
You actually believe that he didn't know that he was NOT LEGALLY ALLOWED TO DRIVE.
Accidents do happen.
Under-age driving is wrong. I am sure the individual in concern was well aware of it. HE DECIDED TO DO IT ANYWAY!
met with an accident. it's not like he or his parents had planned for the accident to happen.
It's an unfortunate accident. That's all. Penalising the parents - for their off springs mistake - does not make sense.
Comes with self realization and at a certain age.
Yes.
And that would imply that Renuka aunty has still to attain that age, given that she is the one who suggested that the parents should be held accountable.
:D
I will agree if you would show me a "child" not an adult who has attained "self realization"
(:
So what you are saying is.. anyone who YOU or RENUKA thinks is a child, should be exonerated of all responsibility and the parents of that CHILD should be prosecuted and penalised?
ah.. you have cleverly put me in to that position havent you?
To answer you: in certain offences yes.. if there is no other way.. else we will have to rewrite the entire theory on Child Delinquency.
The basic point is... it's not a CHILD who suggested such a stupid measure.
It's an ADULT - (as what the majority accepts as definition of an adult).
The measure/suggestion is stupid, pathetic and pointless.
Were a CHILD to suggest such a thing, I would perhaps give him credit for coming up with an innovative defense strategy and would even suggest that he gets a good lawyer to back up his case.
Juvenile crimes and cases are actually very clearly stated and documented.
I don't think there is any need to re-write the laws.
Delinquency ... well anyone can be a delinquent. A child or an adult.
If we have parents handing over their car keys knowing or unknowingly to children, the rules needs to be re-written Raj...else someone will be crying for their loved ones..
Controlling an adult on the road is difficult..let us not add children too.
Happy - Again...
Something needs to be done
This is something - lets do it
Wrong approach.
You can not legally hold a person accountable for the acts committed by another person.
If what Renuka has suggested is to be considered then - Road Transport Ministry should be penalised for failing to have implemented regulations with regards to checking under-age driving, ensuring road safety bla bla bla bla
Sue the entire Ministry.. and they will sue the entire govt. for not providing the funds to enable a proper implementation and this could go on.
She can WRITE to the Road Transport Ministry to hold the PARENTS accountable, how about writing to them and telling them to be accountable.
it's always easy to APPEAR to be doing something about the problem as opposed to actually DOING something about the problem
Man... i don't want to get into an argument now :P
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