Special Drive Launched To Check Underage Driving In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The State Transport Authority (STA) on Monday launched a two-day special drive to to curb increasing menace of underage driving.

The move assumes significance amid a 4% rise in deaths caused in road accidents in 2023 when 5,696 people were killed against 5,467 in 2022.

In a letter to all the Regional Transport Officers, the STA had earlier instructed to take consistent and punitive action under the provisions of 199 (A) of the Motor Vehicles Act considering the severity of road accidents and death scenario in the state which has emerged as a horror next to drug menace. They have been directed to conduct the enforcement drive in full strength and strictly follow the Section 199 (A) of the MV act when a juvenile offence is detected.

Besides detaining the vehicle driven by minors, FIR has to be filed in police station against the guardian or owner of the vehicle, the STA letter read.

Senior officials have also been directed to take steps to educate and sensitise juveniles about the impact of accidents.