FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. - Drivers in Northern B.C. were caught using their phones and failing to wear seatbelts at significantly higher rates during a provincewide traffic enforcement campaign in September, according to the BC Highway Patrol.
New enforcement data shows distracted driving violations in Northern B.C. jumped from 45 in September 2025 to 160 this year, more than tripling in just 12 months.
Seatbelt-related enforcement also increased sharply. Officers issued 147 warnings and tickets during this year’s Occupant Restraint Campaign, up from 71 recorded in September 2025.
Across British Columbia, police recorded 1,587 distracted driving enforcement actions during September, compared to 734 a year earlier.
Occupant restraint enforcement also rose from 456 to 826. Enforcement figures include both tickets and written warnings, with warnings accounting for about three per cent of all actions.
“It’s not just your imagination: Drivers are using their cell phones more than ever, and it’s a troubling result echoed by users who are also ignoring their seatbelts,” said Superintendent Lori Orstad of the BC Highway Patrol.
Orstad said several factors, including higher staffing levels, favourable weather and fewer serious fatal collisions requiring investigation in September, may have contributed to increased enforcement numbers.
However, she suggested driver behaviour remains the most important factor behind the rise.
“There’s never a better time than right now to build better habits,” Orstad said, encouraging drivers to buckle up before starting their vehicles and keep phones out of reach while driving.
The figures were released as part of the BC Highway Patrol’s September Distracted Driver and Occupant Restraint campaigns.