Underage bikers jeopardise road safety

Negligence of parents, inefficiency of traffic regulators has catapulted road accidents involving juvenile bikers

KARACHI:

Growing age adolescents, especially teenage boys, naturally undergo a phase of reckless abandonment, which increases their susceptibility to irresponsibly indulging in a range of harmful activities and addictions however, when parents start giving in to the fatuous tantrums of their children, deadly road collisions involving underage bikers become a common sight across roads.

In the current era of high inflation, relatively inexpensive modes of transportation like motorcycles have become immensely popular among millions of low-income families. On the flipside however, this increase in popularity of bikes has also led to a rise in the number of underage bikers on the roads, as many parents incautiously purchase the two-wheeled motor vehicles for their underage boys, who in the absence of stable monitoring by the Traffic Police, frequently end up in life-threatening crashes.

For instance, Ayesha, a schoolteacher’s 14-year-old son sustained injuries on his leg when his bike slipped while speeding on the road. “My elder son was tirelessly insisting that I buy him a motorbike. When I refused, he became rebellious and refused to go to school therefore, I had to give in to his demand,” regretted Ayesha.

Similarly, Muhammad Arif, a government employee’s, 16-year-old son Saad, too suffered multiple fractures on his leg during an accident, which later required him to have two surgeries and several other medical treatments. “Even though, I had willingly gifted the bike to him back then, now I wholeheartedly regret the decision,” shared Arif, who begged other parents to stop giving motorbikes to their underage children unless they were ready to face the fatal repercussions.

According to Chaudhry Shahid Hussain, a spokesman for a rescue organization, a sharp rise had been observed in the number of daily traffic accidents involving underage bikers, with up to 20 per cent of road collisions severely injuring young bikers between the ages of 12 to 18, who immediately required first aid at the hospital.

“At least 100 injured children end up in the trauma center on a daily basis due to speeding, out of which 80 per cent of the children have broken bones while the remaining 20 per cent suffer permanent paralysis,” reported Dr Sabir Memon, a renowned orthopaedic surgeon and Director at the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Trauma and Emergency Centre.

Muhammad Rizwan, a social leader, was of the opinion that despite acknowledging the risks associated with letting their children ride a motorbike, many parents were helpless in the face of their children’s obstinacy. “Since children these days consider the bike as a mode of entertainment, parents have an added responsibility of controlling their children's rebellious behavior," urged Rizwan.

“Apart from parents, the Traffic Police too should be held accountable for their failure to curtail the activities of underage bikers,” said Hassan Saber, an advocate, who further alleged that most underage drivers also engaged in one wheeling and street racing, which multiplied the danger posed to their own lives and to those of other people.

Speaking to the Express Tribune on the matter, the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Traffic Karachi, Iqbal Dara said, “The Karachi Traffic Police have expedited their efforts to curtail the activities of underage bikers in the wake of the Lahore incident. It is illegal for minors under the age of eighteen to ride a motorcycle. Every day, we issue up to 300 challans. Parents are requested to cooperate with us and not buy motorcycles for their children.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 29^th, 2024.