‘It all starts with you’: B.C. RCMP increasing distracted driving enforcement

Expect to see more RCMP vehicles on local roads this month.

B.C. RCMP Traffic Services says for March, officers will be focusing on distracted driving and seatbelt violations all month long.

“Fatal and serious injury motor vehicle collisions due to distracted driving are completely preventable, and B.C. RCMP Traffic Services is reminding drivers to keep your eyes on the road and your hands up on the wheel,” police said in a press release.

According to the RCMP, distracted driving is the second-leading cause of fatal collisions in British Columbia, and that 25 per cent of all car-crash fatalities are a result of distracted driving.

RCMP say on average, 78 people die in fatal motor vehicle collisions in B.C. because a driver was distracted or not paying attention.

Police say distracted driving includes:

• Personal grooming
• Eating or drinking
• Reading
• Pets and other passengers
• Not knowing your route

“Ask yourself if it is worth your life or someone else’s,” said B.C. RCMP Traffic Services Supt. Holly Turton. “Your life may depend on it, and others are depending on you to get to your destination safely.”

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Fines start at $368 and include four penalty points for a first offence. RCMP say penalties increase for repeat offenders.

“It all starts with you,” said Turton. “Please make the right choice when your drive.”

Along with distracted driving, B.C. Police say they will also be on the lookout for drivers and passengers not wearing their seatbelts.

Police reported that roughly 50 people are killed every year in the province from not wearing a seatbelt.

“Buckle up, even if you are going short distances,” said RCMP, noting that not wearing a seatbelt can result in a $167 fine.

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