Published Oct 27, 2026 | 1:31 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 27, 2026 | 1:31 PM
Visual shows the child sitting on the driver's lap and holding the steering wheel.
A young child was seen steering a moving car in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday, prompting the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights to register a suo motu case, amid growing concerns over underage driving in Keralam.
The incident comes just two days after a crash involving a Mercedes-Benz car in Cheranallur and follows another fatal Mini Cooper accident in Nedumbassery, both involving 17-year-old drivers. The two crashes claimed four lives, intensifying calls for stricter enforcement of traffic laws and greater parental responsibility.
The State Commission for Protection of Child Rights registered the suo motu case in the incident at Kazhakootam, taking note of media reports and video footage of the child at the wheel. They also sought reports from the Thiruvananthapuram District Police Chief and the Regional Transport Officer (RTO), directing them to submit details in connection with the case.
The footage, recorded by a group of people from Kollam, shows the child sitting on the driver’s lap and holding the steering wheel as the car moved along the Kazhakootam-Airport road near Ananthapuri Hospital. The incident reportedly occurred around 7.30 am on Tuesday.
Sujith, who recorded the video while travelling to Nagercoil, said the car appeared to be moving at around 80 kmph. He said the child seemed to be barely three or four years old.
According to Sujith, the driving appeared dangerous, prompting him and others to honk in an attempt to alert the occupants. However, the car neither stopped nor slowed down, he said.
The relatively light traffic on the road at the time may have helped prevent a possible accident.
The child’s parents were also inside the vehicle.
The drivers in Cheranallur and Nedumbassery had both posted videos of themselves speeding at over 200 km/h before.
Kerala High Court judge Justice Devan Ramachandran had, in June 2026, observed that there was no rule of law on the roads in Keralam and asked whether the authorities were “sleeping at the wheel”.
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(With inputs from Dileep V Kumar. Edited by R Rajesh Kumar.)
