Very recently a family was killed in a tragic driving accident in Lahore by a minor. Media coverage all over. Police agencies getting involved. Extensive interviews taking place. Measures are being structured. Chief Minister coming forth. All a reality show. All a episode in the making for another family. The regime is set. The framework will always be there to convict and reactive contain the issue for a few days.
As a psychologist, we study this ailment daily. Lack of respect is a disease in this country. It stems with multiple roots. Firstly, uneducated families rising up the financial ladder. These communities do enable themselves to purchase the cars and the houses, but drastically lack the mental infrastructure to move forward. Their kids seem to always be catching up to the morals of society. Secondly, the ones that are educated have no moral ethics and knowingly keep on crossing the lights and giving opportunities to amend the laws.
There is no room for giving underage kids opportunity to drive recklessly. This is insanity. How does it play? Lack of rules and guidelines. Also, there is no law in place to curb this irrationality. Go to the schools and colleges and you can easily start checking the ages of the kids.
Sadly the police come after these incidents. The ruthlessness was always there. It could have been taken care of. You need a clear, precise and accurate checkpoint of underage drivers. You cannot wake up once a major catastrophe occurs.
The police is divided between the elite and the workers. Similar to the army regime. Curbing the menace doesn’t take time. It takes will. You need to realize the damage it takes on the society. You keep driving in the major cities and find yourself intricately engaged with these under age kids that will bump you and leave a dent and run away.
Also in major accidents, these underage kids also get on the wrong side and damage themselves. What law exists to put them into jail when they cause injury to themselves?
We cannot even get the motorcycles to place helmets. We cannot get the motorcycles to get mirrors attached. Checking cars is a different ball game.
It is a wakeup call for all of us. We need to start testing our morality and not accept that this is how it is. You see a menace do start communicating about it. Make a video. Get it viral. There are communities that keep on checking the hashtags and create a ripple effect.
In cultured societies, the police and community work together to curb menaces. Police need to walk into communities and figure out why these pockets of underage kids exist. Why is it so rampant? Our studies show that peer pressure and lack of controls keep on triggering this effect.
Majority of the issue remains in the household. The families are not clustered together to keep a complete check and balance. The reasons are many. Parents do not have control due to lack of understanding and knowing what goes on in the heads of their kids.
Lack of respect of life kills. Just like cigarettes. We need to become clear in our stance. This article is for our respected police officers to really engage and get rid of this menace. A few traps on the road and viral videos do not do justice. Show us the complete blue print. Even now in front of many schools and high schools, the kids are still driving.
Enforcement is a key responsibility. Who owns this part of the need of society? Whom do we blame for these road side accidents? The frustration of it all. The momentum of life lost since underage driving was never completely eradicated.
Strict laws need to be enforced. Problem is with the people running the show. Make it a permanent daily routine. Your job is to make the roads clean and safe. Are we not clear on our goals?
Mr. Ahmed Sheikh is a highly accomplished psychologist with over 20 years of experience specializing in wellness, positive psychology, mindfulness, and depression management. His expertise extends to training police, corporations, institutions, and government agencies in leadership, management skills, and coping with various psychological challenges.