Unlicensed, underage driving, which is more prevalent than you think, is usually the result of vehicles being taken out on joyrides without the knowledge of the vehicle owner, and sometimes there is even consent from the latter, but what if there’s even more, such as the presence of a guardian in the vehicle itself?
Such a case unfolded in Kedah last week, when a 13-year-old boy was caught driving a car – with his father seated in the passenger seat of the vehicle – during a road transport department (JPJ) enforcement operation in Kulim, as the Malay Mail reports.
According to Kedah JPJ director Stien Van Lutam, the boy was driving a Perodua Kancil when he was pulled over at about 12.45 pm on March 5 along Jalan Sungai Seluang during an operation conducted by the Sungai Petani JPJ branch. Checks found the boy did not possess a valid driving licence as he had yet to reach the legal age to obtain one, an offence under Section 39(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
The lad’s response to enforcement officers about the matter was that he had ‘no choice’ but to drive because his father was unwell and needed to run an errand. He was issued a summons for underage driving, while his father was likewise fined by JPJ. Checks showed the vehicle, which was not seized, had a valid road tax.
While nothing untoward came about in this particular instance, allowing underage individuals to get behind the wheel of a vehicle can have dire – and fatal – consequences. Last week, The Star reported that a woman who allowed her 17-year-old son to drive her car, which was later involved in an accident that claimed three lives, was fined RM1,500 by the magistrate’s court in Seremban.
In the traffic incident, the accused’s son had run a red light and then crashed into two motorcycles, which resulted in three teenagers, aged 15, 16 and 17, being killed in the mishap. The boy initially claimed trial when first charged with reckless driving on April 22 last year, but changed his plea to guilty in December, and is due for sentencing in May, pending a social report from the welfare department.
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