BC Highway Patrol recorded 483 distracted driving enforcement actions across Central B.C. last month, compared with 285 during the same period in 2025.
That’s an increase of approximately 69 per cent across the enforcement region, which includes Kelowna, Kamloops, Merritt and Clearwater.
Seat belt and other occupant restraint enforcement also climbed, with 263 actions recorded in September, up from 162 last year — an increase of about 62 per cent.
The regional figures reflect a provincewide trend, with distracted driving enforcement more than doubling across B.C., rising from 734 actions in September 2025 to 1,587 this year.
BC Highway Patrol Supt. Lori Orstad said the figures highlight the need for motorists to make safer decisions.
“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. We should be making better decisions behind the wheel or even as passengers.”
Provincially, occupant restraint enforcement also increased, climbing from 456 actions last year to 826 this September.
Police said staffing levels, favourable weather and fewer serious fatal collisions under investigation may have contributed to the higher enforcement numbers, although driver behaviour was identified as a likely factor.
“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. You can live without texting or using a GPS to get home from work.”
Drivers caught using an electronic device while driving face a $368 fine, while failing to wear a seat belt carries a $167 fine.
BC Highway Patrol said the enforcement figures include tickets and warnings, with warnings accounting for approximately three per cent of the total.
