The BC Highway Patrol (BCHP) has released its numbers from September’s Distracted Driver and Occupant Restraint Campaigns, showing that twice as many tickets were written in September 2026 over the same period in 2025.

In September of 2025, across all regions of British Columbia, a total of 734 tickets were written for the use of an electronic device while driving. 

For September 2026, BCHP reports that it wrote a total of 1,587 tickets for the same violation. 

Each ticket for using an electronic device while driving carries a fine of $368.

“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,” says Supt. Lori Orstad with BCHP. 

“The numbers are way too high. We should be making better decisions behind the wheel or even as passengers.”

The amount of tickets BCHP wrote for people driving without wearing a seatbelt during September 2026 was also about double. 

In September of 2025, a total of 456 tickets for failing to wear a seatbelt were written by BCHP, compared to 826 over the same period a year ago. 

BCHP says that enforcement includes all warnings and tickets but warnings made up about 3 per cent of the total tickets issued.