Driver and Passenger Safety

Child car seats and booster seats help reduce fatalities and serious injuries from occurring in a crash. When used correctly, a child safety seat reduces the risk of fatality by 71%.

Visit BCAA's website for information on choosing the right child car seat. BCAA has uploaded videos on how to property install one.

Transport Canada child car seat safety information is available by clicking on the following links:

• Buying a child car seat OR booster seat
• Safety recalls, notices and testing for child car seats
• Installing and using a child car seat
• Third-party aftermarket products for children’s restraint system

Drivers have responsibilities for the rules of the road and the use of electronic devices while behind the wheel. No call, text, post, share, email or like is worth the risk for you or the other road users.

Take the pledge to leave the phone alone while driving.

Distracted Driving Penalties

There are strong penalties in effect for distracted driving in British Columbia.

• Each offence will include a base fine of $214 and will add 4 penalty points to your driving record.
• If you have 4 or more points at the end of a 12-month period, you'll need to pay a driver penalty point (DPP) premium.

Read more about the penalties here.

Avoid Being Distracted

Plan ahead.

• Program your navigation for directions before you start driving and use audio instructions rather than looking at your screen.
• Turn your phone to silent or set it to automatically enter "driving mode" or "do not disturb while driving".
• Avoid multi-tasking. Make time at home to eat meals or comb your hair.

Know the rules of the road.

• Keep your hands free by using Bluetooth, a wired headset or a speakerphone.
• Don't use your cellphone at a red light or when you're stopped in slow traffic.

ICBC has more tips on how to stay focused on the road.

Distracted Driving Facts

• On average, distracted driving is a factor in 5,788 police-reported injuries each year.
• You're 3.6 times more likely to crash if you're on your phone.

Learn more facts here.

Best practices include:

• Be patient:  Farm equipment will be found travelling on roadways at all times, including night. Please exercise caution and patience if you find yourself travelling behind farm equipment on a roadway.
• Slow down: Farm vehicles are often travelling with large and heavy loads and can be travelling below the posted speed limit. Be aware and slow down as you approach farm equipment.
• Share the road: Leave enough space between you and the farm vehicle. This allows the farmer to see you, and allows you to see turn signals and hand signals. Only pass farm equipment where legal to do so. If passing, use extreme caution because farm equipment can be wider than a lane width. This may limit visibility of oncoming traffic or hazards.

For more information on farm vehicles, please visit ICBC or click here to view the Farm Vehicles on the Move brochure.

The City of Chilliwack Highway and Traffic Bylaw regulates truck traffic on city roadways.

Under the Bylaw, no person shall operate a motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight exceeding 10,000 kg on any highway other than on a highway designated as a Municipal Truck Route.

Wanting to know what roads in Chilliwack are trucks routes? Visit the City’s mapping system.

The Bylaw does not apply to:

• an emergency vehicle.
• a motor vehicle that is on a local service call, where the site cannot be reached except by travelling on a portion of highway not designated as a City truck route.
• a motor vehicles lawfully engaged in highway construction or maintenance, including travelling to or from the work site, where the site cannot be reached except by travelling on a portion of highway not designated as a City truck route.
• a motor vehicle owned or operated by any municipal, provincial or federal government.

Be Truck Aware with tips and videos for passenger vehicle drivers and commercial truck drivers.