I found another newspaper article today that caught my attention. It is about the new piece of Ontario Legislation that will change put new restrictions for drivers under 21 (See the Toronto star article at http://www.wheels.ca/reviews/article/471369). I am sorry, I am in a very pessimistic mood and right now I don’t understand how this is going to make a huge difference. So, I would love a few comments to prove me wrong (or right, that is good too)!
Tomorrow, the Ontario Provincial government will be introduced a new piece of Legislature that will affect every teen wishing to get a license. Or will it? This new bill hopes to improve the now existing graduated license program here in Ontario. The program passed in 1994, takes new driver a minimum of 20 months to complete, and consists of two steps to obtain your full graduated license.
1. As soon as a person turns 16 years old, they are able to start the graduated license program in Ontario. The first step is a written and vision test. This short tests your knowledge of street signs and basic knowledge on the road. On both the vision test and the written test, you must obtain at least 80% to pass. Once you have passed these tests you receive your G1 license. With this license you can drive only fully licensed driver (who has at least four years driving experience, sitting in the front seat, and a blood alcohol level of less than 0.05%), maintain a zero blood alcohol level while driving, ensure the number of passengers in the vehicle is limited to the number of working seat belts and refrain from driving on highways/freeways with a posted speed limit of over 80 km/h. After 8 months if you have successfully passed a driver’s education program or after 12 months if you have not, you can do you G1 road test. The road test will consist of about 20 minutes of actual driving and parking with an examiner.
2. Once you pass this test, you receive a G2 license. This license you can drive on highways over 80km/hr, you must drive with 0% blood alcohol content and you have to limit the number of passengers to the number of seatbelts. However, as of September 2005, G2 drivers aged 19 years and under, will be restricted in the number of passengers aged 19 and under they can carry (that the passenger restriction will be in effect between the hours of midnight and 5 am). In the first six months, only one passenger aged 19 and under and after that they can carry only three passengers aged 19 and under. After 12 months, you can complete our G2 road test. Once you have passed this road test, you receive you full G license.
The new legislation that will be introduced tomorrow, will affect those who have newly received their G license. It includes a total ban on alcohol consumption, a ban on more than one teenage passenger, and a Zero tolerance for speeders – one ticket and they're off the road. This piece of legislation will only affect those who have a license and are under 21. It is reasonable but I wonder how effective it will be.
Of course this new bill will deter those who are reasonable and careful with their driving. It will cause most young people who have their new license to think twice about speeding or drinking before driving. However, I do not think that it is these people that we should be scared of. It is the others, those who drink and drive right now. Those who even though the law says they cannot have a blood alcohol level of above 0.8% and cannot speed 50km/hr above the speed limit without receiving harsh consequences, still do. Those who do not think before they drive. Those are the people we want to prevent from doing this. But I do not think that a law like this will prevent most of the types of people from drinking and driving or speeding. If they do it now, they will do it then. Because now they risk having their license suspended, demerit points, having their car impounded, and or a fine. They still receive harsh consequences but they still continue to drink and drive or speed. I do not think that this will deter many of these types of people. It may deter them for a few years because they can’t even have one drink, however as soon as they pass 21 (just as they are now with 18) they will have that one drink, and then another…. And the same stuff will happen. Even with this law, I think those under 21, will still continue to drink and drive. Not everyone as I have said so many times already, but a few.
It is the same with speeding, Ontario has some pretty intense speeding laws already and it is a little unfair to say that a young driver loses their license for one speeding ticket. Older drivers speed all the time, why are young people being targeted. Oh wait we aren’t being targeted, we are being protected…
This piece of legislation was inspired by Tim Mulcahy, the father of one of the three young people killed in a drunk-driving accident on July 3. ‘Tyler Mulcahy, 20, his girlfriend Nastasia Inez Elzinga, 19, and friends Kourosh Totonchian, 19, and Cory Mintz, 20, spent the afternoon drinking 31 drinks over a three-hour period at a restaurant in Port Carling. They left that evening in Mulcahy's Audi, but they never made it home. Tyler Mulcahy was driving when he crashed the car into the Joseph River. Only Elzinga escaped the sinking car with her life.’
Now, I must admit, this is actually a very touching story and inspiring, and I am empathetic towards Tim Mulcahy’s and the other family’s losses. However, I would like to point out that it says that they had over 21 drinks, which is well over the legal limit of 0.08% blood alcohol level, which means that these adolescents were already breaking the law. They were probably speeding too and with the four of them in the car it was probably a huge distraction to the driver, which is why all three things are in the new piece of legislation. But even though this new piece of legislation may slightly decrease these tragic events, things like this will still happen, and I don’t really know how much it will change.
Driving is a huge responsibility, you are responsible not only for yourself but for everyone on the road. It is common sense not to drink and drive, whether you are 20 or 40. Although those under 21 maybe more likely to party and drink before driving, they are definitely not the only ones who do it. If you do not have enough common sense to not drink and drive or you are too impatient to follow the speed limit, then you I do not believe are responsible enough to be driving. You are putting others in danger. I do not think that a piece of legislation like this will prevent many people from drinking and driving or speeding. I think that it is a much larger issue that is a problem with more than just one age group.
I am sorry, but I do not understand how this is REALLY going to help people. I understand it will prevent some people from speeding or drinking and driving and will reduce distractions, so I want it to pass, but let’s face it; it is not going to stop it.
Well, probably the main reason why the bill is going to be passed is because of statistics. the teenager is the most probable driver to have a high impact wreak. they are also the most dangerous drivers on the road besides the elderly( but the elderly do not cause as many fatalities)
i do not think this is just an issue on drinking and driving, but an issue of dangerous inexperience driving.
This sounds similar to the CA rules. At age 15.5, you may get your permit, but first you have to pass drivers' ed and take a written exam as well as a vision test. For a minimum of 6 months, you may drive only with a "responsible" adult over the age of 25. Then, once you get your "provisional license", you may drive alone, but not with anyone under the age of 25 in the car and not between the hours of 11pm and 5am. After a year or until your 18th birthday, these rules are lifted, but until you reach your 18th birthday, your license can be suspended by the courts or by your parents for any reason. Also, until age 21 you may not have a BAC of more than 0.0%. These rules are ineffective because they are very hard to enforce. It's really hard to tell the difference between a 17 year old who has been licensed for a year and a 17 year old that has only had a license for 6 months. And, for that matter, it's hard to tell the difference between a 17 year old and a 16 year old. It's common knowledge that everyone breaks these rules at least once, and probably a lot more.
Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.
Yes i agree it is a issue of dangerous and inexperienced driving, however, I do not think that it is very fair thats all. The drinking and drving part was just the easiest point to argue. I also mentioned above the speeding rule. With that, if you are caught speeding once, you loose your liscence for a month. I think that this is a good rule, however, i think it should be applied to all drivers not just those under 21. I also disagree with the rule that says you can only have one passenger under nineteen in the car. I agree that it is a distraction however, in another article I read, it pointed out that 3 teenagers cannot go to the movies together or even go to church... I agree with the restrictions on G2 licences, having the number of passengers under nineteen resrtricted only between midnight and 5 am. But restricting it to just one person all the time, I personally think is ridiculous. Just something to think about. :)