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n yet another deadly traffic accident on a toll road, a car driven by the son of a rock star smashed into a minivan on Jagorawi toll road early on Sunday, killing six. The police say the driver held responsible is still 13 years old who obviously does not have a driver's license. Many question why a minor has access to the car and what his parents' role in the accident.

If we take a look at the personality of a 13 year-old boy, who is an adolescent. According to Kaplan's developmental phase theory, adolescence is a personal phase of development where children have to establish their own beliefs, values and what they want to accomplish out of life. When the environment in which a child lives is a bad influence, he will share beliefs or values, such as driving without license, which are wrong. Maybe his friends do the same, so he will think it is acceptable.

During early adolescence (ages 11-13), psychosocial development usually centers on building a new self image as a result of physiological changes. Teenagers want to undertake mature activities such as driving or smoking, ignoring the fact that driving without a license is illegal. Adolescents also often ignore rational judgment, thus, not drawing on common sense about the connection between high speed and accidents.

Adolescents are adventuresome and experiment with different ideas, in this case driving. They may wrongly think that illegal driving is an adventure. This adventure plays an important role in finding one's relations to oneself, groups and opposite sex. The boy wants to attract the opposite sex or his friends with his skill.

Adolescence is also marked by a battle between a child's own set of values versus the set established by parents and other adult figures. If he sees an opportunity to drive and his parents do not get angry or he evades the police, he will repeat the action. Even if his parents prohibit him from driving, the boy's value supplies more endorphin to challenge the parents' rule.

From the personality description, we know that adolescence is a state of emotional immaturity.

Driving at night itself is more likely to result in accidents because the melatonin receptor causes sleepiness and reduces awareness. A driver may not be able to anticipate a turn, a stop or a passerby who suddenly appears in front of his/her car. The other effect is the driver may not be aware of the speed at which they are driving.

Drugs and alcohol aggravate the situation. Alcohol, like other abusive substances, will induce a disturbance in the human's motor system.

There are many ways to prevent the Jagorawi incident from recurring. The government can first and foremost raise public awareness, especially among the younger generation, to drive only when they reach 17 years old and obtain the driver's license through the legitimate procedure.

The younger generation is more affected by alcohol than adults, so they need regular exposure to campaigns. Such promotional activities can take place in schools, university campuses or through the mass media.

As part of law enforcement measures, the police can intensify regular check to eradicate illegal driving. If necessary the police can order drivers who are caught speeding to undergo a urine test. If the drivers test positive for excessive alcohol consumption or drug abuse, the police can arrest, detain and fine them.

To heighten the deterrent effects of the punitive measures, the police may freeze their driver's licenses or ban them from driving . As part of social punishment, the government can make the identity of the offender public, as well as their parents if they are still kids.

Society can contribute to the campaign for a safe driving culture, which can be passed on by parents to their children. Parents should never allow their children to drive. Parents who violate the rule must be punished. People must be encouraged to call the police if they see a child in charge of a car.

A strict age limit will not only deter drivers from violating traffic rules but also protect society . Driving without a license is indeed a serious threat to our society, so it is the duty of us all to make road a safe place for everyone.

The writer is a general physician who lives in Jakarta.