Vancouver police handed out dozens of tickets as part of an enforcement blitz downtown Tuesday, noting the location in which the distracted drivers were "ironically" nabbed.
The department's traffic section posted on Twitter saying 34 tickets were handed out in the span of two hours near the sprawling courthouse complex where traffic cases are heard.
Const. Tania Visintin, spokesperson for the Vancouver Police Department, said 25 of the tickets were issued for using an electronic device while driving, an infraction that comes with a $368 fine and four penalty points.
"March is distracted driving month, so our officers are out ensuring drivers are keeping their eyes up and paying attention to the road," she said in an email.
According to ICBC, distracted driving is a contributing factor in 40 per cent of car crashes that are reported to the police. Across the province, an average of 77 people die each year in these crashes, 23 in the Lower Mainland.
"Despite the risk, many B.C. drivers continue to use electronic devices while driving," reads a news release from the insurer announcing the launch of a month-long awareness and enforcement campaign.
"Since 2018, police have issued more than 140,000 distracted driving tickets."
Throughout March, police departments will be ramping up enforcement of distracted driving laws while volunteers will be out in communities across B.C. reminding drivers not to use their devices while they are behind the wheel.
