By: Preleen Pillay

Over the past year, the amount of unlicensed drivers causing accidents in Durban has increased and is becoming an issue of great concern.

According to a police official whose name has been withheld for safety reasons, the roads are becoming unsafe due to the amount of people driving without licenses.

“This is a serious issue because these drivers are putting other people’s lives at risk due to their own recklessness” he said.

He added that young people continuously fail their driver’s license tests but still drive regardless of knowing that driving without a license can be detrimental and illegal.

Although having a license is a major cause of accidents there are other contributing factors as to why accidents occur.

Driving School Instructor Kevin Grant said, “It is important to have your license because it proves that you are a competent and disciplined driver, people without licenses don’t learn to
respect the rules of the road”.

Court clerk from the Chatsworth Magistrate court, Roheida Shaik, claimed that the fact that they do not have licenses is only one of the reasons for the accidents because when accused,

there are factors such as consumption of alcohol, speeding and running red lights that add to the cause of the accident.

Teen unlicensed drivers aged 16 to 19 years are four times more likely than older drivers to be involved in accidents.

According to Arrive Alive statistics (2015) majority of these teenagers are given cars before they are licensed to drive them.

Parents are urged to ensure their children do not drive before they are legally allowed to do

so.