Ontario’s new zero blood alcohol level for drivers 21 years of age and under comes into effect tomorrow.

On August 1st, novice drivers of any age and all drivers 21 and under must have zero blood alcohol level when driving:

• An immediate 24-hour licence suspension
• A further 30-day licence suspension on conviction
• Up to $500 in fines

Novice drivers in the Graduated Licensing System are already required to maintain a zero blood alcohol level while driving. These drivers will face tougher penalties if they violate the conditions of their licence or if they are convicted of any Highway Traffic Act offences that carry four or more demerit points. Penalties include:

• 30-day licence suspension for the first instance
• 90-day licence suspension for the second instance
• Further instances can lead to a cancellation of the licence and other penalties.

These changes are part of the Road Safety Act 2009 and will keep drivers safe on Ontario roads.

QUICK FACTS

•  The peak ages of drinking and driving collisions are 19, 20 and 21.
• Drivers aged 19 to 21 are almost one-and-a-half times as likely to be involved in drinking and driving fatal and injury crashes.
• In Ontario, 235 drivers age 21 and under were killed in drinking and driving collisions in the latest 10-year period for which statistics are available.

The full release can be found at the Province of Ontario site.

On Saturday August 14th, we’ll spend a few hours on the Evergreen Golf Course in Dryden to pick up some prizes, share some terrific food…and, hopefully, hit a couple nice shots.  All proceeds go to assist in with the Crime Stoppers program for Northwestern Ontario.

Any questions or reservations can be handled by calling Ron at (807) 223-5745.  Our thanks to our gracious sponsors and we look forward to seeing you on the 14th!

At the half-way point in 2010, Crime Stoppers has posted an enviable record of success.  When compared with the program’s performance in 2009, numbers in almost every measurable statistic are up and, in places, by rather staggering amounts.

Some highlights at the end of June 2010 include:

• The amount of drugs seized up almost 425%
• The value of recovered property, drugs, etc. has improved by more than 400%
• The number of calls the toll-free line has taken has increased by more than 80%
• The number of rewards being paid out has doubled.

Our mandate of anonymity precludes Crime Stoppers from digging deeper into the data to source the success, however, some obvious indicators point to the tremendous contribution made by local media outlets in broadcasting out message.  Even the subtlest mention of Crime Stoppers and the toll-free number in a newscast or news story produces results.  Equally, our relationship with the many police agencies allows us to move information received quickly and anonymously and cases can be solved very quickly; at times, in a few days.

Naturally, the success comes with a cost.  The number of rewards paid out through the first six months of 2010 are double the amount paid through the entire 12 months of 2009.  Crime Stoppers asks for your help by making a small donation through the secure PayPal link on the www.tipshelp.com website.  Your investment is very important: for every dollar Crime Stoppers pays out in rewards, it amounts to $6,400 of drugs and stolen property taken off our streets and away from schools.

Crime Stoppers news and updates are available at our Tipshelp website, joining the Crime Stopper’s Facebook Page and following Crime Stoppers on Twitter.

Crime Stoppers is a citizen, media and police co-operative program designed to involve the public in the fight against crime. Crime Stoppers will provide citizens with a vehicle to anonymously supply the police with information to a crime they may have knowingly witnessed or a crime or potential crime to which they may have knowledge.

Your continued support is greatly appreciated.