Ironically, this new proposal might be the push that youth need in order to realize that politics matters and that they need to pay more attention to what’s going on.
I agree with the zero blood-alcohol limit for all drivers under the age of 21. Its simple, if you drink, you can’t drive. Period.
Mandatory license suspension that starts with 30 days for a single speeding ticket is certainly tough but I imagine it will serve as a major deterrent once everyone become aware of this. This bill should be amended to have an agreed speeding restriction. The goal in license suspension should be to target serious offenders and street racers, not someone who was stopped for speeding 57 km in a 50 km zone like I had once had been. Parents who pay for their kids car insurance should be concerned too.
The last part of this proposal makes me glad that I am older now. This restriction will mean those between 16 and 19 can only have one more teenage passenger in their car. That would have prevented me from carpooling in my first year in University and saving on gas. It would also eliminate the option for having a designated driver on all those nights spent “studying” at the pub with friends. What could be the motivation for this? It appears someone in Queens Park decided that when young people get together in a group of greater then 2 but less then 5 (typical limit of passengers), it poses a danger to driving and becomes a threat to public safety.
Young drivers, its time for you to get political. Discuss this issue with your friends and parents. Find out the name of your riding (using your postal code or address) is and then contact your local Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP). That would be a good start. Believe me, MPP’s don’t get that many phone calls or e-mails from their riding. Voting, turning on the news, volunteering, attending debates, etc. is the next natural step. I’ll post more on this later. Sorry to burst anyone’s expectations but joining a Facebook group just won’t cut it no matter how many wall posts you make, although its a great way to spread the word.
In a phone conversation with Dalton McGuinty, Tim Mulcahy remarked that ‘with these new laws, Ontario will have the safest roads in the world.’ But if you are between the ages of 16 and 21, they will also be among the most restrictive.
My friend, CSR expert storyteller Billie Mintz, an innovator in new media production is currently filming an investigative documentary that scrutinizes the distribution of the responsible drinking message. He wants to hear what you think about McGuinty’s proposed new laws? Sound off here on the Toronto Chat Forums.
The Message in a Bottle is a 12 part web video series which examines the responsibility everyone shares regarding the advertising, sales, purchase and consumption of alcohol.
The world is changing; Ontario is becoming a safer place, but are we sacrificing freedom for safety?