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B.C. RCMP

News release

September seatbelt and distraction campaign leads to 1190 tickets from BC Highway Patrol

October 15, 2025 - British Columbia, British Columbia
From: BC Highway Patrol

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BC Highway Patrol cruisers at night working an enforcement check stop
BC Highway Patrol cruisers at night working an enforcement check stop

We can see it all around us: Too many British Columbians are choosing to ignore their seatbelts or use their cell phones while driving. You can see those problems reflected in ticket numbers from September’s Distracted Driving and Occupant Restraint Month.

“It’s simple. If we can get less people to drive while distracted, and more people to wear their seatbelts, then we will save more lives,” says Superintendent Mike Coyle with BC Highway Patrol. “We will keep writing tickets for people who don’t obey the law, but the real goal is public safety.”

Here are the BC Highway Patrol enforcement numbers for the September Distracted Driving and Occupant Restraint Month campaigns:

Use electronic device while driving ($368):

Region

Tickets

Northern BC (including most communities north of 100 Mile House)

45

Central BC (including Merritt, Kelowna, Kamloops, Clearwater)

285

Kootenay region (including Revelstoke, Nelson, Cranbrook, Golden)

116

Vancouver Island

76

South Coast (including Metro Vancouver, Sea to Sky country, the Fraser Valley)

212

Total number of tickets

734

Fail to wear seatbelt, ($167) plus other occupant restraint offences:

Region

Tickets

Northern BC (including most communities north of 100 Mile House)

71

Central BC (including Merritt, Kelowna, Kamloops, Clearwater)

162

Kootenay region (including Revelstoke, Nelson, Cranbrook, Golden)

58

Vancouver Island

79

South Coast (including Metro Vancouver, Sea to Sky country, the Fraser Valley)

86

Total number of tickets

456

“As we move into the Halloween season, and the days get shorter, it’s even more important that you eliminate distractions behind the wheel,” says Superintendent Coyle. “Pedestrians are hard to see in the darkness and rain of fall. You need all of your attention to keep yourself, your loved ones, and the people in your neighbourhood safe on the roads.”

Contacts

Corporal Michael McLaughlin
Media Relations Officer
BC Highway Patrol
bchp_media@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
778-290-5844
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