Family Prosecution: Parents' indulgence in allowing children to drive puts them under the law

38 cases of teenagers driving vehicles without a license in Dubai within 9 months

• The problem with juvenile driving is that it is difficult for him to deal with any emergency situation.

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The Attorney General and Head of the Family and Juvenile Prosecution Office in Dubai, Counselor Muhammad Rustom Bu Abdullah, warned of the leniency of parents in allowing their children to drive vehicles before they reach the authorized age to obtain a driver's license.

He told «Emirates Today» that the Public Prosecution office registered 38 cases during the first nine months of this year for juveniles (children according to the law) who were involved in driving vehicles without a driver's license, compared to 20 cases during the same period last year.

He stressed that if negligence is proven on the part of the guardian, whether the father or mother or another person, and the juvenile caused an accident as a result of his driving without a license, the prosecution considers the father accused in the case as lenient.

He revealed that the total number of juveniles who were involved in cases in general during the current year is 241 juveniles, most of whom are males, with 222 males and 19 females, while their number reached 201 juveniles during the past year, 181 males and 20 females.

Bu Abdullah stated that the juvenile cases index has not changed much since 2009 despite the tangible increase in the emirate's population, pointing out that 162 juvenile cases were recorded this year involving 241 juveniles, compared to 138 cases last year involving 201 juveniles.

He considered that this is a good indicator and reflects the effort exerted by the competent authorities to care for this group, including the Public Prosecution represented by the Family and Juvenile Prosecution, which targets them with targeted programs that focus on their issues, needs and most prominent problems.

He pointed out that the majority of juvenile cases dealt with by the Public Prosecution center revolve around quarrels, due to the age stage that witnesses a kind of impulsiveness and constant desire to prove oneself, and the inability to self-control due to lack of maturity.

He explained that it is also a frequent issue to allow teenage children to drive a vehicle without obtaining a driver's license, as they are under age, indicating that parents are responsible for controlling their children's behavior in this regard, because it is related to the personal safety of the son, as well as the security and lives of other road users.

He pointed out that the problem with the juvenile driving a vehicle without a license is that he does not have sufficient knowledge to drive the car in the right of way, and it is difficult for him to deal with any emergency situation in light of his lack of experience and his realization that he is violating the law by driving a car without a license.

He emphasized that the guardian's leniency in this regard puts him under legal liability, and he can turn into a suspect, explaining that leniency can be in control, by leaving the car key in a place available to the child, or allowing him to drive the vehicle to buy an item or to go to a specific place, This often happens in residential areas, as the father or mother believes that the son will not deviate from the path set for him and will not leave the area, but it is difficult to predict the behavior of a teenager at this age.

He pointed out that «the law differentiates between a person who deliberately gives his car to another who does not have a driving license, and a person who does so unintentionally, whether because of his negligence in keeping the keys or taking them without his knowledge, as the law does not protect the owner of a car driven by a person without a license».

Bu Abdullah attributed the rush of adolescents to driving a car before they reach the age that allows this to their desire to prove themselves, and the rush to drive as an indicator of their maturity and that they have become adults.

In addition, Bouabdallah said that quarrels often lead juvenile cases, in addition to other crimes such as thefts and drug cases, but in small proportions, pointing out that the prosecution takes into account the circumstances of the case, the situation of the juvenile himself, and also looks into the circumstances that led him to get involved in such a matter.

He added that the Public Prosecution is trying in various ways to treat the reasons that lead to the child or juvenile's involvement in the problem, and recently launched an initiative under the title "My Child is Legal", which mainly aimed to raise awareness of the problem of bullying, as it is one of the causes of quarrels, as well as its psychological impact on children.

He pointed out that the initiative carried the slogan "My behavior in the colors of the law", and aimed to educate students of public and private schools in the emirate about the legal foundations of children's rights in an entertaining and purposeful manner, and correct their behavior by explaining the negatives and explaining how to avoid them and adhering to positive values, principles and habits. 

8 juvenile drug cases

The Attorney General, Head of the Family and Juvenile Prosecution in Dubai, Counselor Muhammad Rustom Bu Abdullah, said that the Family and Juvenile Prosecution Office recorded eight drug cases for juveniles this year, and recorded the same number during the past year, indicating that children of 13 or 14 years of age in particular are dominated by the desire to experiment. And curiosity, and in light of the changing types of drugs, and the development of their forms in a way that facilitates their concealment and abuse, there must be conscious control over them so that they do not get involved in abuse, whether to satisfy their curiosity, or their impulse to prove themselves in front of their peers.

241

Mostly male juveniles Total juveniles who were involved in cases in general during the current year.

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