DOHA: The Juvenile Police Department in collaboration with Media and Traffic Awareness section at the General Directorate of Traffic yesterday organised a discussion on ‘driving without licence, risks and solutions’.
The session focused on the risks of driving without licence and responsibility of parents in this regard emphasising that parents must not give children permission to drive before reaching the legal age. The speakers in the session included Captain Shaheen Rashid Al Ateeq, Head of Awareness and Media section at the Juvenile Police Department, Captain Ali Hamad Al Aswad, Head of Traffic Investigation section in Madinat Khalifa, and First Lieutenant Fahd Sherida, Traffic Awareness official, among others.
The speakers stressed that the security services are not able to fully play their role in raising awareness and educating the youth about the dangers of driving without a license if there are parents who are lenient in this matter. Al Ateeq called on all parents to cooperate with security services and not allow their children to drive before the legal age to protect their lives and those of other road users.
Al Aswad spoke on the role of traffic patrols to control the cases of driving without licence in general, pointing out that when traffic patrols catch a person driving without a licence they impound the vehicle, in addition to other procedures like referring the person to the public prosecution.
On the role of traffic in raising students’ awareness of the dangers, Sherida said the Directorate conducts many awareness activities to educate school students on various aspects of traffic safety, especially driving without a licence.
The speakers urged parents to guide their children and educate them on respect for the law, which does not allow them to drive cars without obtaining a driver’s licence.
Some students who attended the discussion raised questions about the legal issues in obtaining a driver’s licence, as well as the punitive measures that a person driving a vehicle without a licence can be subjected to.
