Distracted Driving Month lasers in on seatbelt safety and staying focussed
By BC RCMP
BC Highway Patrol writes a lot of tickets, and this March, if you choose to drive distracted or ignore your seatbelt, you could end up paying hefty fines.
March is the month for both the Distracted Driving and Occupant Restraint (seatbelt) Campaigns all across BC.
“We’re asking every driver to put the phone out of temptation’s reach, buckle up, and make sure you’re using an appropriate car seat for your children,” says Inspector Brian Donaldson with BC Highway Patrol. “Do you really need to use your GPS to navigate on your way home from work? Is it more important to scroll through your playlist rather than pay attention at traffic light crosswalks?”
According to RoadSafetyBC (in English only), distracted driving is consistently one of the top three causes of collisions causing serious injuries and fatalities in the province, alongside impaired driving and speeding.
Unrestrained occupants (seatbelts in particular) are also a leading cause of injury and death in collisions. Seatbelt safety is still a particular issue in rural areas, and people in cities still have trouble with some of the more complex car seat rules. Your local RCMP detachment is a good resource for learning the law.
Some of the violation tickets you could face in March include:
| Offence | Section | Fine |
| Use an electronic device while driving | BC Motor Vehicle Act (MVA), s. 214 | $368 |
| Use an electronic device while driving in violation of restrictions (New Drivers) | BC Motor Vehicle Act Regulations (MVAR), s. 30.072(1)(a) | $368 |
| Fail to wear seatbelt | BC MVA, s. 20(4) | $167 |
| Operate vehicle with inoperative seatbelt | BC MVA, s. 220(3) | $167 |
| Child unrestrained or improperly restrained | BC MVAR, s. 36.03(1) | $109 |
“Now that commuters are getting this advance warning, there should be no excuses,” says Inspector Donaldson. “If you don’t want to follow the law, then education through enforcement is coming.”
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