If your full attention isn't on the road while you drive, SGI wants your attention now.

Last month's traffic safety spotlight put a focus on distracted driving. This month, the Crown insurance corporation is talking about the state of that report.

During June, 919 distracted driving offences were reported by law enforcement. Of those, 798 were cell-phone related.

Joe Hargrave, the minister responsible for SGI, stated that the government is working hard to mitigate the dangerous act.

"Enforcement's been very strong, and we're cracking down on people. Still, there are obviously far too many [drivers] out there that aren't getting the message."

He said that the government is now looking at options to make distracted driving less attractive, including increasing penalties.

"It's just unacceptable that there are that many people still using their phones and driving distracted... it's unacceptable, they have to cut back."

Government changes are still under discussion, and will likely stay that way for the next few months.

Being distracted while driving can be easy. Tips to avoid doing so include the following, courtesy of SGI:

  • Placing your phone in the back seat or glove box of your vehicle
  • Pulling over and putting your car in park if you need to make a call
  • Staying alert to road conditions at all times

Drivers who check their phones while on the road are eight times more likely to be in a crash, according to CAA.

Hargrave said while fines are a good deterrent for the dangerous driving behaviour, it shouldn't distract from the fact that people are consistently injured and killed by it.

"In our last awareness campaign, it was [featuring] a mother who had lost her daughter because her daughter was distracted driving, she was on her cell-phone when she was hit. Your heart just goes out to those families of those people.

"Just for one silly thing, she lost her daughter, and this daughter lost her chance at a future. She was 16 years old."

Education and strong awareness campaigns are factors in the government's approach to dealing with the issue.

This month's traffic safety spotlight is on work zones.