Buckle up and avoid distractions: Highway Patrol

Drivers in B.C. are being reminded to leave their phones alone and to make sure all occupants buckle up.

Police in B.C. will be conducting enhanced enforcement as March is Distracted Driving/Occupant Restraint Month.

Distracted driving is responsible for over 25 per cent of car crash fatalities in B.C. and is the second leading cause of fatal collisions in the province. An average of 77 people die in fatal motor vehicle collisions in B.C. due to distracted driving each year, and the Highway Patrol is reminding drivers to “keep your eyes on the road and your hands up on the wheel.”

Distracted driving expands beyond using an electronic device to personal grooming, eating and drinking, reading, unsecured pets, other passengers and not knowing the route.

“It all starts with you,” Chief Superintendent Holly Turton said.

“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 be depending on you to get to your destination safely.”

The fines for using an electronic device while driving starts at $368 and four penalty points for the first offence, with costs increasing with each subsequent offence.

The fine for driving without due care is $368 and six penalty points.

Additionally, Highway Patrol said seatbelt compliance is “generally quite high in B.C.,” though non-compliance does lead to an average of 52 deaths in otherwise survival collisions in the province each year.

Occupant restraints refers to everyone in the vehicle including children, who are required to be secured in an approved infant or child seat appropriate for their age and height.

The fine for not wearing a seatbelt is $167.