Pranay Agarwal, the 21-year-old B.Com graduate from Somajiguda is the first winner from South India of the Maruti Suzuki Young Driver of the year award, whose sixth edition concluded recently in New Delhi.
Pranay attributes his safe driving to his father. “I have been driving for the last four years; whenever I am driving with my father he insists that I drive safely and avoid speeding,” he says.
Pranay participated in the competition which kick-started in July, where 24,000 people across the country took part in an online quiz on safe driving applications and traffic regulations. This was followed by phase II of the competition, where 3,000 short-listed contestants were tested on a computer operated simulator and took a driving test. The 30 finalists were judged by professional trainers from the Institute of Driving Training and Research at New Delhi.
Speaking of interacting with young drivers from all over the country, Pranay says, “When you speak to people from different cities, you realise that although we have the same rules applying to everyone, the traffic condition of each place is uniquely different”.
Pranay takes his responsibility for safe driving rather seriously. “Irrespective of their age, one needs to have an attitude of maturity while driving, because you are duty-bound and responsible, not just for your own life, but for other travellers on the road as well. In case of a mishap, it is not like a career gone wrong, which can be changed,” he says. When Pranay goes partying with his friends, it is pre-determined that one person in the group needs to be sober to drive the rest back home. He adds, “Government laws need to be more stringent, but as individuals too, we need to stop treating our driving licence like just an ID proof and act wisely.”
