What do seatbelts, car seats and cellphones have in common?
B.C. drivers apparently have a hard time using them correctly, according to police who were doling out tickets last month as part of the RCMP's Distracted Drivers and Occupant Restraint Campaign.
"In March, BC Highway Patrol wrote almost 2,800 tickets for distracted driving," Supt. Mike Coyle with BC Highway Patrol said in a press release.
Coyle said many of these distracted driving tickets were written for people using the highway system, not merely those stopped at intersections.
Police also wrote 873 tickets for people who were not wearing seatbelts, including 87 tickets to parents whose children were not properly secured.
"These numbers prove two things: One, we need to do better," Coyle said.
"Two, everyone in B.C. is paying the consequences of collisions that come from high-risk driving behaviours."
Tickets for not wearing a seatbelt range from $109 (for a child who is improperly restrained) to $167 for an adult who fails to wear a seatbelt. A ticket for using an electronic device while driving carries a $368 fine.
Regional statistics
Central/Okanagan Region: 1,036 tickets for using an electronic device while driving and 300 seatbelt infractions;
Kootenay Region: 149 tickets for using an electronic device and 111 seatbelt infractions;
Northern Region: 153 tickets for using an electronic device while driving and 61 seatbelt infractions;
South Coast/Lower Mainland Region: 603 tickets for using an electronic device and 145 seatbelt/occupant restraint tickets, including 37 for children who were improperly secured;
Vancouver Island Region: 276 tickets for using an electronic device while driving and 61 seatbelt infractions.
