Car wars, meet bar wars: Ontario brings in new drunk-driving rules

The province is bringing in new rules that specifically target young people and things young people like to do—namely, drinking and driving. Starting this Sunday, drivers 21 and under will need a blood-alcohol level of bupkis just to get behind the wheel. The Globe tells us that the law also applies to “new drivers of all ages,” and that a first offence will result in a 30-day licence suspension and fines of up to $500.

We certainly won’t make light of the dangers of drunk driving, even if this issue is a bit foreign to youth in Toronto: they just take the subway home. But the province might consider some other harsh punishments for various youthful activities. Could Queen’s Park bring in a law against drunk texting or terrible Facebook photos? On second thought, maybe we don’t want to go down this road—can restrictions on Twilight or Justin Bieber be far behind?

• Ontario toughens licence rules for new and young drivers [Globe and Mail]
• Zero-alcohol limit for drivers 21 ad under [Toronto Star]
• Stiffer rules for young drivers [Toronto Sun]