Will never learn; 16-year-old drives bike and car in Adoor, reel filmed

PATHANAMTHITTA: A 16-year-old boy was seen driving a bike and a car in Adoor. The incident came to light after videos of him driving the vehicle were filmed and shared on social media page. A traffic police team seized the vehicle Tuesday afternoon. The boy was seen driving a Maruti 800. The police have registered cases against the boy’s mother, who owns the car, and Ravindran of Kollam who owns the bike. Reports say Ravindran had sold the bike to the family.

Meantime, authorities have initiated proceedings to suspend the driving licence of Sainulabdeen of Vayyamoola in Vallakkadavu, who was seen driving a car at high speed in Kazhakkoottam with a child seated on his lap and holding the steering wheel. He was summoned to the Regional Transport Office (RTO) and served a notice.

The video showing him driving with his grandchild on his lap was shared by residents of Elambal in Kollam. Following this, the Kazhakkoottam police registered a case. The notice cites dangerous driving and endangering the child’s life.

In addition to having his licence suspended, Sainulabdeen must attend a three-day driving training programme conducted by the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) in either Edappal or Kollam.

Sainulabdeen explained that he kept the child on his lap as he was crying. However, if the driver has to brake suddenly while the child is on his lap, the child could be pressed against the steering wheel. If the child slips down, the driver could lose control of the car. Regulations require a three-year-old child to be seated in a specially designed child seat. The incident occurred Tuesday morning while he was driving over the Kazhakkoottam flyover with the child on his lap. He reportedly ignored repeated honking by vehicles travelling behind him.