Yes, I don't drive, but my friends do.

I haven't written in a while because I have been busy getting ready for the holidays but I figured that I should write a post on an issue that has direct relevence to me. This issue is the new young drivers laws in Ontario.

I am eighteen years old and I only have my G1. Sometimes it bothers me that I can not drive without an adult in the car, but with these new laws it isn't all that bad. I understand that the government of Ontario is trying to reduce drunk driving. No one under the age of 21 is allowed to drive with any percentage of alcohol in their system, that isn't a bad decision because it is reducing driving under the influence for that age group. However, what about the older people who drive drunk? There are still the same limits for them as their were before, nothing has changed. From a young person's perspective, I think that this is stereotyping all young people as careless drivers and excessive drinkers. If there is going to be zero tolerance towards any percentage of alcohol in a person's blood, it should be towards everyone.

G2 drivers in their first year are only allowed to have on passenger in their car under the age of 19. Of course this does not apply to family. However, what if this G2 driver is a designated driver at a party and is responsible for driving two people home. Does the G2 driver deny one of the passengers their seat and risk them being driven home by someone else who is intoxicated? They can not put them in their car because it is against the law. This law will also provoke more cars on the roads which will add to the greenhouse gasses and pollution in the air making it hard to improve our environment.

The purpose of the new laws are understandable. It is great the Ontario government is taking control of drunk driving however there are some situations that the law seems to be forgetting.