Every March and September police across the province participate in a distracted driving and seatbelt enforcement campaign.
This September is no different, and police across the B.C. will be conducting intensified distracted driving enforcement.
B.C. Highway Patrol is reminding drivers to keep their eyes on the road and their hands upon the wheel as Fatal and serious injuries from motor vehicle collisions due to distracted driving are preventable.
According to provincial data, distracted driving is responsible for more than 25 per cent of all car crash fatalities and is the second leading cause of fatal collisions in BC.
Every year, an average of 76 people die in fatal motor vehicle collisions in BC because the driver was distracted or not paying attention.
Distracted driving not only includes using electronic devices but also includes other distractions such as personal grooming, eating or drinking, reading, insecure pets, other passengers and not knowing your route.
BC Highway Patorol says distracted driving looks like drivers who can’t maintain a steady speed, can’t maintain their lane, stops well short of the stop line (or fails to stop altogether) and the ones who remain stopped even though other traffic has started moving.
“It all starts with you,” says Supt. Holly Turton, Officer in Charge of BC Highway Patrol. “Ask yourself if it is worth your life or someone else’s to answer a call, check your email or send that text while you are driving. Please make the right choice when you drive – ignore your phone and drive responsibly – your life may depend on it – and others may depend on you to get to your destination safely.”
Police will be working with ICBC and RoadSafetyBC, to step up distracted driving enforcement during the month of September and beyond.
The fines for distracted driving start at $368 and 4 penalty points, plus a Driver Risk Premium assessed by ICBC. In addition, vehicle insurance costs may be affected and too many points assessed against one’s licence may result in a prohibition from driving.
While seatbelt compliance is generally quite high in BC, on average, 50 people are killed every year in collisions that may have been survivable had restraints been worn.
Occupant restraints refers to all occupants of your vehicle, including children who are required to be secured in approved infant or child seats, appropriate to age and height. Police recommend that you always buckle up even if you are going short distances – seatbelts and airbags work together to protect you and the occupants of your car. The fine for not wearing a seatbelt is $167.
Police are asking all motorists to always wear seatbelts and leave electronic devices alone when driving for your own safety and that of others.
