Young drivers in Ontario will be subject to some of the toughest age restrictions on drinking and driving in the country starting Sunday.

Under the new rules, drivers aged 21 and under cannot consume any alcohol before getting behind the wheel.

“My hope is that this legislation will contribute to a reality where adults in the future will not drink and drive at all,” Transportation Minister Kathleen Wynne said at a news conference Monday.

In 2008 the Ontario government backed off from a larger set of proposed restrictions on young drivers, including a change that would have limited the number of teen passengers in a teen-driven car, after a Facebook campaign stirred public outrage.

The tough-on-youth driving legislation was strongly encouraged by Tim Mulcahy, whose son Tyler was killed in a July 2008 car crash after he and friends spent the afternoon eating and drinking at a restaurant in Port Carling.

Tyler and two of his friends died when his Audi veered into a river. His girlfriend Nastasia Inez Elzinga, then 19, survived after she managed to swim to shore. Tyler, 20, was in danger of losing his driver’s licence for several traffic charges at the time.

After his son was killed, Mulcahy took out full-page newspaper ads urging Premier Dalton McGuinty to tighten rules for young drivers.

Many say his personal crusade was instrumental in getting the zero tolerance legislation. Reached on holiday, Mulcahy said he didn’t want to comment on the changes for personal reasons.

Statistics show people aged 19 to 21 are nearly 1.5 times more likely than older drivers to be involved in fatal crashes and injuries as a result of drinking and driving.

Under the legislation, drivers 21 and under found to have alcohol in their systems will face an immediate 24-hour licence suspension at roadside, a fine of up to $500 and a 30-day licence suspension.

New drivers of all ages will also be subject to zero tolerance until they get their G2 licence, which can take upwards of two years to acquire.

“There will be people that are unhappy with this, including some people in my own household, but we know this is the right legislation,” said Andrew Murie, chief executive officer of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

He said he expects the new rules will result in a 15 to 25 per cent decrease in impaired driving deaths of young people.

Ontario is the fourth province to implement zero tolerance legislation for young and new drivers, after Manitoba, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

Some say the changes unfairly target young people.

“We believe that all drivers in the G1, G2, M1 and M2 class of licence should face the same sanctions regardless of age,” Ontario Safety League president Brian Patterson said. “It’s a step forward and it’s going to save lives, [but] at the end of the day I think it should apply to everyone.”

That sentiment was echoed by young drivers at the Advanced Motoring Bureau driving school at Danforth and Broadview Aves. “I think they should keep an eye on people older than 21, too,” said Joe Zambri, 18.

Classmate Jon Bentley, 16, agreed drinking and driving isn’t a big problem among his peer group. “If the legal drinking age is 19, then why increase this to 21?”

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The changes also include a measure the ministry hopes will alter the behaviour of first-time drunk-driving offenders.

Under current laws, a person convicted of impaired driving must serve a driver’s licence suspension of at least a year. However, research has shown that many drivers with a suspended licence continue to drive. Under the new law, first-time offenders will be eligible for a reduced suspension if they agree to an ignition interlock installed in their vehicle. The device is a breathalyzer attached to the vehicle’s dashboard that prevents the person from driving unless they blow under a set limit. Offenders must pay for the lock themselves.

With files from Liam Casey