I kind agree with you. I think the law needs to have some compassion for young or first time offenders that are caught breaking the law where there are no aggravating factors (ie no injury or victim or other major offenses) . The kid made a mistake, he should have consequences but should they really be life altering? I know a similar situation where a kid was drinking at a party did the responsible thing and decided to stay over. Once everyone left he moved is car off the road into the friend's driveway as there was no overnight parking. Woop-woop - cops watching the party jumped out, arrested and cuffed the kid. The start embarrassing $30,000 journey.
For the OP, how about for suspending his driving privileges for 3 months and suspending the sentence. If he gets caught again, he suffers as a repeat offender.
I forgot to add that the sentences can be life altering for young first time offenders. I have been following MADD who is notw advocating lighter sentences for first time offenders in non aggravated cases. Turns out pressure of sentences on normally good people who make a mistake can often backfire -- rather than rehabilitating and working as a deterrent, sentencing hardships create such a negative outcome that some offenders gamble with reoffending simply to survive.
Life is so complex. Yes most of us have done something equally wrong but I have a problem with offering avenues of encouragement to future offenders. Yes I have done a very similar thing in more lenient times but would discourage anyone from copying my behavior.
What bothers me is that a lot of people seem to be developing a baseball attitude. You always get three swings at the ball. In life the first swing can be fatal.
What would be the outcome if the OP hit a pedestrian, crippling them and destroying their career and lifestyle? OP claims bankruptcy and victim goes on welfare?
Punishment is a tricky path. Too little encourages irresponsibility and too much encourages retaliation. Leniency is needed for the kid moving the car off the street or a drunk sleeping it off in the back seat but the second an inebriate touches the key to the car they're slammed. There goes someone's post secondary education.
The OP is 21 so the young offenders act doesn't apply, something that I might consider in certain cases.