A new rule that prohibits Ontario drivers who are 21 years old and under from drinking even a sip of alcohol before driving will go into effect Sunday, the government announced Monday.
The law, which was passed in April 2008, forces young drivers to maintain a zero per cent blood alcohol content (BAC) level.
The rule even applies to young drivers with a full licence.
Drivers who are 22 years old or older and hold a G licence are allowed to have a BAC level of 0.5 per cent.
Ontario Transportation Minister Kathleen Wynne and Andrew Murie, the CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Canada, made the announcement in Toronto Monday morning.
"The graduate licensing program has really worked but there is a flaw because as kids come out of the program, most of them were also reaching the legal drinking age. That collision of being a relatively new driver and new drinker showed us 19-, 20- and 21-year-olds were getting killed on roads," Murie said.
According to MADD, drivers between the ages of 16 and 24 account for 33 per cent of the total amount of alcohol-related crash deaths in Canada.
If drivers are caught breaking the new law, they will received an immediate 24-hour roadside licence suspension and could be fined between $60 and $500.
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Manitoba already have similar regulations.
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