What constitutes a distracted driving offense in British Columbia?

A distracted driving offense in British Columbia is defined as any action that diverts a driver’s attention away from the task of driving safely. This includes activities such as using a phone—whether for texting, calling, or accessing applications—as well as engaging in other behaviors that take focus away from the road, like adjusting the radio or interacting with passengers.

While eating food while driving can also be distracting and potentially lead to unsafe driving situations, the key factor in this context is the broad scope of distraction through any activity that pulls attention away from driving. This highlights the emphasis placed on maintaining full concentration on driving at all times to ensure safety for oneself and others on the road. Listening to music, in contrast, is generally not considered a distraction unless it involves excessive volume that hampers the ability to hear important auditory cues from the environment. Having passengers is also not classified as a distracted driving offense; however, it may lead to distractions if the driver engages too much with those passengers instead of focusing on driving. Thus, using a phone or engaging in other distracting activities is the most encompassing and accurate definition of what constitutes a distracted driving offense.