Twenty-six motorists were fined $167 and three penalty points for distracted driving last month, during an enforcement campaign in White Rock.
According to results shared Tuesday, officers also issued 52 violation tickets for other offences during the campaign, along with 28 written warnings.
Volunteers and officers were out throughout March specifically looking for drivers who were using electronic devices or were otherwise distracted while behind the wheel. They checked nearly 2,500 vehicles in all.
During one afternoon checking drivers on Johnston Road, Const. Chantal Sears told Peace Arch News the message seems to be getting through.
“It’s encouraging to see – how many vehicles have we checked just standing here, probably 100, and I haven’t seen one infraction yet.”
But there are still some who aren’t getting the message.
“I stopped a guy yesterday and he was adamant he shouldn’t be given a ticket because he was using his phone as a GPS,” Sears said. “He got the ticket.”
ICBC road safety co-ordinator Karen Klein said in a news release that most drivers understand that using their cellphones while driving increases their risk of crashing, “yet many still do it.”
“It’s time we all commit to leaving our phones alone and staying focused when we’re behind the wheel.”