New Delhi, Jul 30 (PTI) The challans issued to underage drivers in the city dropped by nearly 68 per cent this year, with Delhi Police issuing 92 challans between January 1 and July 25, against 287 during the same period last year, official data showed.
Officials attributed the decrease in number of challans to increased monitoring and awareness programmes in schools.
“We are regularly conducting drives to curb juvenile offences with awareness programmes being held in schools to educate children and parents that any offence committed by a minor will be treated as a violation by the guardian or the vehicle owner,” a senior police officer said.
“Our officers are also deployed in vulnerable areas, including school zones,” he said, adding that the Delhi Traffic Police is making continuous efforts to ensure road safety and sensitise juveniles about traffic rules and the consequences of breaking the law.
In 2025, south district recorded the highest number of underage driving challans with 15 cases while New Delhi had the least at just one challan.
Eleven challans each were issued in Shahdara and as many in north east districts, while north district observed nine instances of underage driving.
Seven challans each were issued in south east and south west districts while in west Delhi six challans were issued. Five challans each were issued for the offence in east Delhi, north west and Dwarka districts. In Rohini district four challans were issued while just two challans were issued in outer Delhi.
Speaking about the law enforcement involving these cases, a senior officer said, “In cases involving underage driving, it is the vehicle owner or the minor’s guardian who is held legally accountable.” “They can face a fine of up to Rs 25,000 or imprisonment, depending on the gravity of the offence. The juvenile, however, typically does not face strict legal punishment under current laws,” he added.
In 2024 also, south district had the highest number of underage driving challans at 61 and there were 46 challans issued in south east district while 31 were issued in outer Delhi. The New Delhi district saw eight challans being issued last year.
The number of vehicles impounded in connection with underage driving also decreased this year, from 98 in 2024 to 32 in 2025, a reduction of 67.3 per cent.
No cases of drunken driving or repeated offences involving juveniles have been recorded this year, while two cases each were reported in both categories during the same period last year.
Earlier this week, a 16-year-old boy driving a car rammed it into an e-rickshaw killing its driver.
In a separate case in west Delhi’s Janakpuri, in May, a drunk teenager overspeeding a vehicle struck two bicycles and crashed into a roadside jhuggi, killing two persons and injuring three others, including a pregnant woman and a child.
The Motor Vehicles Act (MVA) deals with the age limits for driving motor vehicles. It specifies that no person under the age of 18 is allowed to drive, according to Section 4 of the act. In case of a violation a person be fined up to Rs 5000 or even jailed for up to three months under Section 181.
If a parent, guardian or vehicle owner allows a minor to drive, they can also be held responsible under Section 5 of the act and fined under Section 180. In more serious cases Section 199A under the MVA is applied.
It allows police to fine the adult up to Rs 25,000, send them to jail for up to three years and cancel the vehicle’s registration for twelve months. PTI SGV SLB SGV OZ OZ
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