Every driver has heard the reminders: buckle up, put the phone away and keep your eyes on the road. Yet every year, enforcement campaigns show that too many motorists continue to take unnecessary risks behind the wheel.
Last month, BC Highway Patrol handed out 1,190 tickets as part of September’s Distracted Driving and Occupant Restraint Month, targeting distracted driving and seatbelt-related offences. These figures underscore a troubling reality – some of the most basic and effective safety habits are still being ignored by drivers across the province.
Distracted driving can take many forms, from sending a text message to changing a song on your phone. In September alone, BC Highway Patrol issued 734 tickets to drivers using an electronic device while driving, an offence that carries a $368 fine. Central BC, including Merritt, Kamloops and Kelowna, led the province with 285 tickets, while the South Coast region, which includes Metro Vancouver, the Sea-to-Sky corridor and the Fraser Valley, recorded 212 offences. The Kootenay Region also saw 116 tickets in areas such as Revelstoke, Nelson, Cranbrook and Golden.
When you’re in the driver’s seat, it should go without saying that your phone belongs out of your hands and out of sight. Keeping your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel is one of the simplest ways to help make our roads safer. Road safety is a shared responsibility, and each of us has a role to play every time we get behind the wheel.
Whether you’re driving or riding as a passenger, buckling up should be automatic. During September’s safety campaign, a total of 456 tickets were issued for failing to wear a seatbelt and other occupant restraint offences. Central BC accounted for the highest number of violations with 162 tickets, followed by the South Coast with 86 and Vancouver Island with 79. These numbers are a reminder that despite decades of awareness campaigns and clear evidence that seatbelts save lives, too many people are still choosing not to use the simplest safety device in their vehicle.
The takeaway is simple: seatbelts save lives. Wearing a seatbelt takes only a few seconds, but it remains one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of serious injury or death in a collision. The fact that hundreds of tickets were issued in a single month shows there is still work to do when it comes to making seatbelt use a non-negotiable habit.
Ultimately, the numbers from September’s enforcement campaign are about more than tickets. They are a reminder that road safety depends on the choices we make every day. Whether it’s resisting the urge to check a notification, putting your phone out of reach before starting the vehicle, or ensuring everyone in the vehicle is properly buckled up, these simple actions can help prevent serious crashes and save lives.
As road conditions become more challenging through the fall and winter months and kids are out trick-or-treating this Halloween, drivers must remain focused and attentive behind the wheel. Safe driving is not complicated, but it does require commitment. By eliminating distractions, buckling up and encouraging passengers to do the same, we can all help make BC’s roads safer for everyone who shares the road.
Blair Qualey is President and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of BC.
