Phone down: Metro Vancouver sees worst increase in distracted driving in all of B.C.
Driving can be a stressful time for Metro Vancouver commuters, and recent stats from a BC Highway Patrol (BCHP) enforcement campaign show that distracted driving in Metro Vancouver is getting worse.
The traffic-focused BC RCMP division marked Occupant Restraint and Distracted Driving Month with an enforcement campaign across the province in March.
While the number of tickets written by BCHP during the campaign dropped slightly compared to the previous year, Metro Vancouver saw the worst increase in distracted driving in all of B.C.
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Metro Vancouver drivers saw the largest increase in distracted drivers, up to 822 tickets in 2026 compared to 603 in 2025. That is a jump of nearly 31 per cent.
Northern BC saw the most improvement in distracted driving, down 42 per cent to 100 tickets from 153 the previous year.
“Distracted driving is still one of the top three things that can kill you on BC roads, along with speed and impairment, and seatbelts are just such an easy way to save lives in collisions,” said Corporal Michael McLaughlin with BC Highway Patrol in a release.
“As long as they continue to be problems, we will continue to educate through enforcement.”
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The Metro Vancouver (South Coast) region also has the ignominious distinction of having the most drivers in all of B.C. who fail to properly secure children in car/booster seats. Twenty-two tickets were written for the infraction in March.
A total of 775 seatbelt and restraint tickets and 2,722 electronic device tickets were given out by BCHP throughout the campaign.
“You can look around and see that too many people are still using their phones while driving,” added McLaughlin. “And why some people can’t bring themselves to use their seatbelt remains a mystery.”
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A recent driving law enforcement blitz in Vancouver uncovered similar results regarding distracted drivers in the city.
According to a post on X from the VPD Traffic Section, enforcement officers had a hard time keeping up with all the drivers who were on their phones.
The post revealed that police handed out 20 violation tickets, worth $368 each, in a span of just two hours.
Richmond RCMP also conducted a one-day distracted driving blitz last fall, issuing fines totalling tens of thousands of dollars as a result.