Parents should not allow their children drive their vehicles on public roads without a license, a practice that may pose a threat to the lives of the youngsters as well as others, several residents have opined.

Quoting the views of a number of people, most of them Qatari men, local Arabic daily Arrayah said parents should be held accountable for the consequences of letting their teenagers drive their vehicles .

They were of the view that even though the teenagers take the car for a drive without the knowledge of their parents, they still bore some responsibility to the consequences of such action by the children.

Ali al-Humaidi, one of the respondents, pointed out that raising parents' awareness about the seriousness of such an "unacceptable practice" would reflect positively on curbing this activity alongside the strict enforcement of the law.

He said knowingly no parent would give the keys of the car "to a teenager not yet 14 or 15 years old and let him drive on the public road" because it is very risky for everybody in the society. " Laws and regulations are there but family has still a role to play in this," he said.

Mansur al-Azbah said the father in particular has to be more careful as he is the person responsible for controlling the conduct of his sons, in this area in particular.

But he said unfortunately, some fathers are not cautious enough and this gives their teenage sons easy access to the vehicles at home. "Such youths may engage in reckless driving and speeding to show off their courage and skills ," said al-Azbah.

He also stressed that local media and religious and social organisations have to play a more active role in raising public awareness about the seriousness of such practices.

Abdulla al-Hajiri said quite a number of precious lives are lost in fatal road traffic accidents and some of the victims were youngsters under 18, the minimum age to be eligible for a driving licence in Qatar.

Calling for ending this activity, Ahmed al-Khaldi said: "I have a very painful experience. My 22-year old son was killed in a road accident when a vehicle driven by a boy less than 15 years old collided with his vehicle."

Saud al-Hinzab, the former chairman of the Central Municipal Council (CMC), stressed that parents should be stricter with their children in this respect and avoid indulging them by paying up the fines incurred by their risky conduct.

Meanwhile, a number of lawyers have called for harsher penalties for those who drive vehicles without a valid driving licence.

Lawyer Nayif al-Neemah said it is difficult to stop this practice completely, but it could be limited. He suggested that the fine for such an offence could be raised up to QR500,000 , in addition to a penalty of up to five years in jail in case of an accident, especially those that result in fatalities.

The lawyers also stressed that parents should share the legal consequences for letting their children drive without valid driving licences.

Some social activists have recommended that children be given proper entertainment avenues to overcome their boredom, which is a major reason for them to engage in such risky practices as reckless driving. "Teenaged boys are adventurous and they want some excitement. They want to impress their peers and friends with their driving skills, but are not aware of the consequences of such acts. "