Let’s Make B.C. Distraction Free…!

Leave your phone alone. No call or text is worth risking your life or the lives of others. Let calls go to voicemail and ignore your notifications while in traffic. Remember using a phone at a stop light is still prohibited.

Pull over to make or receive a call. If you have to take a call, pull over if it’s safe to do so; stay focused on the road and keep the conversation brief. Make sure you’re focused on driving before re-entering traffic.

Plan to avoid distraction. Turn off your mobile phone, put it on airplane mode, or place it in the trunk of your car so you won’t be tempted to talk, email or text when you’re on the road.

Assign a designated texter. Ask your passengers to make or receive calls and texts for you while in traffic.

Keep your hands off. Hands-free means a Bluetooth or wired headset or speakerphone that can be operated with one touch or voice commands and doesn’t take your visual focus off the road. Make sure to pair your device before you’re on the road, and practice using it while parked before trying it in traffic.  If you’re using a headset or headphones, remember that drivers can only wear them in one ear.

New driver? If you have a Learners or Novice licence, you aren’t allowed to use any electronic device behind the wheel, even in hands-free mode.

Law enforcement. Police officers and emergency responders are the only drivers permitted to use mobile devices behind the wheel.

Check the facts.  Make sure you understand the law, review the facts about distracted driving and learn the rules around using your mobile device in a vehicle.