Don't pull out the cell phone - or any other mobile device - while driving or stopped at a red light.
This month, as part of a provincial campaign, Coquitlam RCMP and Port Moody Police are ramping up enforcement to crack down on distracted drivers.
Those who flout the law will be fined $167 and get three driver penalty points.
Coquitlam RCMP Cpl. Jamie Chung said statistics show 31 people are killed in the Lower Mainland every year because of distracted driving-related crashes.
"All of these deaths were needless and could have been prevented by drivers paying attention solely on driving," Sgt. Dave Fee of the detachment's traffic services said in news release. "Driving is one of the most complex tasks you do and every driver needs to do it with undivided attention.
"Taking your eyes off the road to glance at your phone could result in someone getting hurt or even killed," he said.
Instead, drivers should use a hands-free device or pull over to the side of the road to text, email or make or receive a phone call.
There are even tougher rules for drivers in the Graduated Licence Program; those required to have N or L signs on their vehicles are banned from using hands-free devices while behind the wheel, Chung said.
