The BC Highway Patrol launched a new enforcement campaign targeting distracted driving, aiming to create safer roads through “education through enforcement," in March.
“Across the province in March, BC Highway Patrol wrote almost 2,800 tickets for distracted driving,” said Supt. Mike Coyle. “We also wrote 873 tickets for people who were not wearing seatbelts, including 87 tickets to parents whose children were not properly secured.”
Some of the campaign numbers include:
- Central/Okanagan Region: 1,036 tickets for using an electronic device while driving and 300 seatbelt infractions
- Kootenay Region: 149 tickets for using an electronic device and 111 seatbelt infractions
- Northern Region: 153 tickets for using an electronic device while driving and 61 seatbelt infractions
- South Coast/Lower Mainland Region: 603 tickets for using an electronic device and 145 seatbelt or occupant restraint tickets, including 37 for children who were improperly secured
- Vancouver Island Region: 276 tickets for using an electronic device while driving and 61 seatbelt infractions
“Many of these distracted driving tickets were written for people using the highway system, not merely those stopped at intersections,” said Coyle. “These numbers prove two things: One, we need to do better. Two, everyone in BC is paying the consequences of collisions that come from high-risk driving behaviours.”
Tickets for not wearing a seatbelt range from $109 for a child who is improperly restrained to $167 for an adult who fails to wear a seatbelt.
A ticket for using an electronic device while driving carries a $368 fine.
