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If you’re going to drink and drive in Ontario, be prepared to face some harsher penalties.

New provincial rules that took effect Jan. 1 include lifetime licence suspensions for anyone convicted of impaired driving causing death, and mandatory remedial education for first-time offenders caught behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Time will tell if the stricter regulations make a difference, but this much is certain: sadly, plenty of people are still drinking and driving in Ontario.

This week, on the heels of the rules coming into force, the OPP released the results of its latest Festive RIDE checks: in the month of December, nearly 1,300 people were arrested for impaired driving. And that’s just the roads patrolled by the Ontario Provincial Police; add in city police forces, and it’s hundreds more.

“Doesn't surprise me, never fails to disappoint me,” said Steve Sullivan, the CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Canada, during an interview on tonight’s Closer Look podcast. “There's no excuse, and it's disappointing that so many people make that choice. On the other hand, it's heartening to see that law enforcement are so active in trying to take as many drivers off the road as they can.”

“No one ever thinks they're going to get into a crash,” Sullivan continued. “No one ever thinks they're going to hurt someone else, or hurt themselves or kill themselves. But it happens everywhere. It happens every day somewhere in the country.”

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

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