New Rules for New Ontario Drivers - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

STeeLy · 11-18-2008, 10:10 AM

Now... I know this won't affect too many CPers... but I want to get some Opinion on this matter.

Article:
http://www.wheels.ca/article/471369

To basically sum up the changes:
- No alcohol in system for ANY driver under 21 even with a full license
- No more than one teen passenger
- One speeding ticket = suspended license

I agree with the no alcohol rule... and only partially agree with the Teen Passenger rule. Just because some teens are rowdy everywhere doesn't mean ALL teens are rowdy everywhere... This is an issue for classrooms and parents to teach... how to conduct themselves in public, in cars, etc...

As for the one speeding ticket rule... I think that is just ridiculous... I agree that we should all watch our speeds when we're driving, but suspending a license because they went 5 over the limit is just plain ridiculous (Yes, it is true, you can get a ticket for going 5km/h over the limit, no demerit points though)

Edit: Thanks to Ken0042, I forgot to mention these rules are for new drivers only.

Ronald Pagan · 11-18-2008, 10:13 AM

Ontario also just passed a law that makes it illegal to talk on your cell phone while driving.

I can't be more happy with that. As a cyclist I have been well schooled on the road that cell phone drivers are the most dangerous.

ken0042 · 11-18-2008, 10:23 AM

Just to clarify that these rules are for new drivers.

I was wondering about the "only one teen passenger" rule- as what would parents do if they wanted to take their 2 teenage kids somewhere.

Bertuzzied · 11-18-2008, 10:25 AM

Those are great rules.

ok, ok,....I get it · 11-18-2008, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken0042

Just to clarify that these rules are for new drivers.

I was wondering about the "only one teen passenger" rule- as what would parents do if they wanted to take their 2 teenage kids somewhere.

I think it means you can't have a car load of teens out cruising anymore.....parent's aren't wouldn't fall into the defintion of "young driver"

Table 5 · 11-18-2008, 10:34 AM

These are great rules. Driving is not a right, it's a privilege. Too many people seem to think that driving is just a lifestyle on wheels. Pay attention to what you're supposed to be actually doing (ie, driving) and you have nothing to worry about.

I think i was a pretty responsible kid, but the first thing I did when i was that age was have all my friends pile in the car, and my abilities to think straight would plummet.

Cheese · 11-18-2008, 10:37 AM

Fantastic rules...and as an Ontarian am happy my government is doing this.

You cant pick and choose who the best teen driver will be so if you are a good teen driver then these rules wont affect you.

Now if they would just automatically ban ALL drunk drivers or drivers over the limit for life, our roads will be even safer.

Bring_Back_Shantz · 11-18-2008, 10:59 AM

The one teenage passenger rule is stupid.
When I was in high school I used to drive three buddies to rugby pracitce on a pretty regular basis. Without me driving them they may not have been able to get there.

This rule could really cause some unforseen problems.
As for the other rules, I don't really have a problem with them, but I'd like to know how long the suspension is for that first speeding ticket.

Russic · 11-18-2008, 11:35 AM

I like the drinking one. The multiple teens in the car seems a little rough as does the one speeding ticket. I was a pretty smart driver in my teenage years but I still managed a lapse in judgement and scored a speeding ticket. Just an idiot move (I didn't notice the sign indicating a speed change), but I'm not sure it would have warranted a suspended license. Perhaps I could get on board if there was a limit (30 over or something).

Much like Shantz says, not sure I can agree with the multiple teens in the car thing either. I routinely was the DD for several drunken friends who wouldn't have thought twice to drive home had I not intercepted them.

Bill Bumface · 11-18-2008, 11:56 AM

I think some hours should be put on multiple teams in a car. As BBS said, many kids rely on car pooling to play highschool sports. I sure did.

burn_baby_burn · 11-18-2008, 12:05 PM

I have to scratch my head on all of them. With alcohol, does it matter how old somebody is? A drunk driver is a drunk driver regardless of age. Are they saying a 19 year old is responsible enough to drink, yet you must be 21 to be responsible enough to know if you have had too much to drink and drive? Why not just make the drinking age 21? Maybe this is just step towards that.

No more than one teenage passenger? On one hand we have governments and groups telling us we need less cars on the road. Now this law is encouraging more cars on the roads by limiting the number of passengers based on age. Do statistics point towards a sharp increase in vehicle accidents and deaths when more than two teenagers are in a vehicle? What is the increased risk of accident when more than two teenagers are in a vehicle?

One speeding ticket and you lose your license? This seems a little excessive. A cop should be able to distinguish if a driver is driving in an unsafe manor of just blending in with traffic (QEII for instance where 90% of the vehicles are driving 10-20km over the speed limit).

If Ontario wants to ensure safer roads, maybe they should make it more difficult to obtain a license. Every day we see terrible drivers of all ages on the road. For instance how many of you driving in the winter on slippery roads see morons fly by you only to see their car in the ditch a few miles up the road? I saw a semi-driver watching a DVD player on the QEII on Friday night in heavy traffic (I noticed him weaving all over the place and noticed the screen when I was passing). Obviously teenagers are less experienced drivers. Yet I don't think they are the number one cause of fatality's. If they are, maybe there should be a better system for educating young drivers.

flip · 11-18-2008, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burn_baby_burn

I have to scratch my head on all of them. With alcohol, does it matter how old somebody is? A drunk driver is a drunk driver regardless of age. Are they saying a 19 year old is responsible enough to drink, yet you must be 21 to be responsible enough to know if you have had too much to drink and drive? Why not just make the drinking age 21? Maybe this is just step towards that.

Yeah this has nothing to do with drunk driving, which is illegal for everyone, and everything to do with this question. That is exactly what they are saying.

The one teenager rule is so dumb. It actually encourages drunk driving. If a group of teens is going to a party or bar and one is DD they can no longer drive the other teens home. They will have to drive drunk or cab it and I can guess what many teens will choose.

Friends can't even drive friends to school anymore? What a bunch of BS.

corporatejay · 11-18-2008, 01:14 PM

The one teenager rule might be the stupidest thing i've ever heard of. I got rides to school everyday with my buddies, it's not like we were out causing a ruckus. Are we sure there isn't a time limitation on that? like no more than one teenage passenger between 12am-5am or something like that.

ken0042 · 11-18-2008, 01:18 PM

As much as I think some drunk driving laws are too uniform, I happen to like this one.

It teaches kids behavoir that has the potential to spill over into later years; that you can go to the pub with your buddies to watch the game, and still have a good time just drinking pop. It encourages them to dis-associate drinking with driving.

I know I didn't have a handle on what the amount I could drink and still safely drive until my late 20's.

I do see what they are trying to do with the multiple passengers law, but I still think it's flawed. They want to avoid the number of victims in a crash. However I know most of the serious crashes I've seen and or had friends involved in, there was just two of us in the car.

STeeLy · 11-18-2008, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by corporatejay

The one teenager rule might be the stupidest thing i've ever heard of. I got rides to school everyday with my buddies, it's not like we were out causing a ruckus. Are we sure there isn't a time limitation on that? like no more than one teenage passenger between 12am-5am or something like that.

It used to be... people with a G2 (Equivalent to a Class 5 GDL in Alberta) was not allowed to have more than 1 passenger under 20 in their car from 12 AM - 5 PM unless they're members of the immediate family. This new one is enforced at all times

corporatejay · 11-18-2008, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STeeLy

It used to be... people with a G2 (Equivalent to a Class 5 GDL in Alberta) was not allowed to have more than 1 passenger under 20 in their car from 12 AM - 5 PM unless they're members of the immediate family. This new one is enforced at all times

Again, just so I have this straight. It's 2am, your child phones wasted and says "hey, we made a mistake, we're across the city and we're loaded, can you come pick me and my buddies up in the minivan".

You're telling me that you can get a ticket for having 6 teenagers drunk in your car after 2am. What about cousins?

what the hell is going on in Ontario, what is the point of this law?

Winsor_Pilates · 11-18-2008, 02:31 PM

Really stupid rules. Drunk driving, polution and vehicle congestion on the roads all will go up.

The passenger one is by far the worst reasons already mentioned. You couldn't even carpool to university with these rules.

And if teenage drivers are that bad, the one passenger rule has just turned 1 teenage driven car into 4 seperate cars. How is it safer to have 4 "bad" teenager drivers on the road then 1?

stupid

REDVAN · 11-18-2008, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by corporatejay

Again, just so I have this straight. It's 2am, your child phones wasted and says "hey, we made a mistake, we're across the city and we're loaded, can you come pick me and my buddies up in the minivan".

You're telling me that you can get a ticket for having 6 teenagers drunk in your car after 2am. What about cousins?

what the hell is going on in Ontario, what is the point of this law?

No a parent is fine, what the law says (I think) is that your drunk kid can't phone up a buddy and ask them to come pick up 6 drunk kids.

I think this whole thing is terrible age-ism. If we're going to restrict when young people can drive and how many passengers they can have, then we need to do that for old people too. But why stop there? If you are below 110 IQ then you should get restrictions. If your car isn't RED then you should have to stay out of the left lane. If you are a woman you should not be allowed to have your makeup open. Cell phones should not be allowed at all. Radios should be turned off except for parked cars. Where do the restrictions stop? Some people need to get their noses out of others business.

I don't understand why they restrict passengers or speeding. If you are going to have a license system for drivers, make it equal and fair to all drivers.

GreenLantern · 11-18-2008, 02:37 PM

Nobody is a perfect driver, we all make mistakes, sure some are better than others but anybody who sits up top and tells you that everyone below them is a horrible driver usually needs to look in the mirror.

We could all use this cell phone rule, I hope it comes out west.

STeeLy · 11-18-2008, 03:48 PM

These also don't apply to just YOUNG drivers, they also apply to NEW drivers... so if you came from another country where you cannot change your license over and have to re do everything, u have to follow these rules as well.

And Redvan is right, if you're piss drunk and you call up your parents or an older brother/sister, that's fine... but if you call you friend who is still a teenager, then no, u can have one drunk kid in the car alongside the driver, but not more than one