Alberta RCMP issued more than 3,300 distracted driving tickets in 2025

By medicinehatnews on February 4, 2026.

Alberta RCMP is reminding motorists that operating a vehicle requires the driver’s complete attention and focus.

In 2025, the Alberta RCMP issued a total of 3,337 tickets for distracted driving. With the aim of lowering this number, Mounties have shared a series of tips for keeping eyes and minds on the road.

They remind that distracted driving is not limited to texting or talking on a handheld device while operating a vehicle, but can also include personal grooming, reading, writing, adjusting GPS or audio devices, attending to passengers or pets and any other activity that might impair the ability to operate a vehicle safely.

If a text, call, or other activity is necessary, residents are asked to pull over and put their vehicle in park before proceeding in any distracting activity. Stop lights are not considered a safe place for these activities and are still under the umbrella of distracted driving.

The penalty for distracted driving in Alberta is a $300 fine and three demerit points, though the RCMP adds that the risk to the safety of the driver and others on the road is the bigger price to pay.

“Distracted driving is a common bad habit among drivers,” said Sgt. Darrin Turnbull with Alberta RCMP Traffic. “It may not seem like a big deal to check a text or change a song, but it only takes a second where your attention is diverted for a collision to take place. Distractions behind the wheel are never worth putting yourself, or other motorists, at risk.”

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