iN NUMBERS: Kamloops, Kelowna region leads province in distracted driving tickets

It’s hard to tell with just a set of numbers whether people in places like Kelowna and Kamloops actually use their phone more or if the RCMP is just on their case about it, but the numbers don’t look great.

The BC Highway Patrol released data for seatbelt and electronic device tickets for March 2026.

Here are the numbers from the March distracted driving campaign:

• 1,008: Electronic device tickets were given out in Central B.C., including Merritt, Kelowna, Kamloops and Clearwater.
• 2,722: Electronic device tickets were given out in all of B.C.
• 822: Electronic device tickets were given out in the South Coast including Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley and Sea to Sky country.
• 268: Seatbelt tickets were given out in Central B.C., including Merritt, Kelowna, Kamloops and Clearwater.
• 22: Kids were caught without seatbelts and their drivers ticketed in the South Coast including Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley and Sea to Sky country.
• 368: Bucks. That’s the penalty for a distracted driving ticket, plus four points on your license.
• 28: Per cent of fatal crashes in B.C. have distracted driving as a contributing factor.
• 23: Per cent of fatal crashes in B.C. have impairment as a contributing factor.
• 144: That’s how many times the average person checks their phone each day.