Tim Mulcahy's son died in alcohol-related crash

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Though nothing can ever relieve the pain of a lost son, Tim Mulcahy said new legislation that will see young drivers face a number of stricter rules will help make a difference for others.

Mulcahy's 20-year-old son Tyler was killed in a car accident in July when the car he was driving skidded out of control, broke through a guard rail and drove into Lake Joseph in Muskoka.

The youngster, who spent most of his time at family homes in midtown Toronto and North York, was one of three to die in the crash. Young passengers Kourosh Totonchian and Cory Mintz also lost their lives.

The OPP cited both speed and alcohol as a factor in the crash. Both of those issues are addressed in the new legislation, which calls for a total ban on alcohol consumption for drivers under 22 years of age, tougher speeding laws for young drivers and a one passenger limit for drivers 19 and younger.

Mulcahy, who started an online petition (www.tylermulcahy.com) calling for tougher legislation shortly after his son's death, was relieved to hear that his calls were answered.

"Any time you lose a child, you can't call it a victory, but there's some relief here knowing that for my daughters and for other children and other parents there are better laws in place," he said.

Mulcahy said he felt the Ministry of Transportation considered the points he made in his online petition, which collected more than 7,500 signatures, in drafting the new legislation.

"Obviously, they took into consideration the petition," he said. "The Ministry was going to make some moves anyway, I think. I feel the drinking (legislation) was close to being put forward anyway."

The new laws have not come about without criticism. Several online groups have already been set up arguing that the new rules are unfair and overly harsh. On the social networking site Facebook, over a dozen groups have attracted thousands of members.

Mulcahy said, however, that the legislation is a necessary step in building strong safe driving habits among teens, who may be more prone than older drivers to succumb to recklessness borne from feelings of invulnerability.

"This puts young drivers in more of a box that says 'these are our rules and you follow the rules,'" he said. "We all want our freedom at that age, but at the same time, the statistics show this is the age where most deaths by accident happen."

Mulcahy added that most adults and even some young drivers seem to feel the new restrictions are necessary to ensure the safety of young drivers and those with whom they share the roads.

He noted that it only takes a single error in judgment for things to go horribly wrong.

"Tyler had everything going for him," he said. "He just made one mistake."