BC Police Catch 1,600 Distracted Drivers in September Blitz

B.C. drivers were stopped for using electronic devices and travelling without seatbelts at sharply higher rates during the BC Highway Patrol’s September enforcement campaign.

Police recorded 1,587 enforcement actions involving electronic devices while driving in September 2026, up from 734 during the same period in 2025. Seatbelt-related enforcement rose to 826 actions from 456 a year earlier.

A troubling rise across B.C.

The totals include tickets and written warnings, though the BC Highway Patrol says warnings accounted for about three per cent of all enforcement actions.

“It shows we are really trending the wrong way, and people are making poor decisions,” BCHP Cpl. Michael McLaughlin said. He described a mindset he calls “personal exceptionalism,” in which drivers believe safety rules apply to everyone else.

Supt. Lori Orstad of the BC Highway Patrol offered a similarly blunt assessment.

“It’s easy to blame the driver next to you for their bad and unsafe decisions, but maybe it’s time to start looking in the mirror,” Orstad said. “The numbers are way too high.”

Police said higher staffing levels, favourable weather and fewer serious fatal collisions requiring investigation may have helped produce more enforcement actions. But they said driver behaviour is likely the most important factor behind the increase.

Northern B.C. numbers climb

The rise was particularly pronounced in Northern B.C., where electronic-device enforcement actions climbed from 45 in September 2025 to 160 in September 2026.

Seatbelt-related enforcement in the region also increased, rising from 71 actions to 147.

The figures capture more than just drivers holding phones. The campaign’s message is about habits before a vehicle starts moving: buckle everyone in, put the phone out of reach and keep attention on the road.

“There’s never a better time than right now to build better habits,” Orstad said. “Don’t start your car until you and every passenger are belted in. And put your phone out of reach before you hit the ignition.”

Regional enforcement tells a story

Other regional reports point in the same direction.

According to Castanet, Central B.C., covering Merritt, Kelowna, Kamloops and Clearwater, recorded 483 drivers using mobile phones in September 2026, up from 285 a year earlier. The outlet also reported 263 drivers caught without seatbelts, compared with 162 in September 2025.

CHEK News reported that on Vancouver Island, the BC Highway Patrol issued about 214 tickets for electronic-device use while driving, up from 76 in September 2025. The outlet reported 148 seatbelt tickets, compared with 79 the previous year.

For McLaughlin, the concern extends beyond the immediate stop, ticket or warning. With busy travel periods approaching, he urged drivers to focus on reaching their destination safely.

“If you’re late, you’re late,” he said. “You’ll get there when you get there.”

The cost of a distraction

A ticket for using an electronic device while driving in B.C. carries a $368 fine. Failing to wear a seatbelt carries a $167 fine. CHEK News reported that an electronic-device ticket also brings four driver penalty points.

But advocates say the consequences can be far greater than a financial penalty.

Brenda McGaw, founder of Shea-Lynn’s Butterfly Effect, said excuses for skipping a seatbelt, such as travelling slowly or driving in a rural area, can have irreversible consequences. Her daughter, Shea-Lynn, was 16 when she was killed in a 2021 crash while not wearing a seatbelt.

“If you’re not buckling up, you now become a human projectile,” McGaw said, “and are risking other people’s safety.”

CBC reported that ICBC considers distracted driving one of the top three causes of deaths on B.C. roads, contributing to an average of 80 deaths and 2,424 injuries each year.

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