We've all been told to put our phones away while driving, be it from friends, family, or organizations such as CAA. But it seems that no matter how many times it is repeated, the lesson doesn't seem to stick. Because of this, CAA Saskatchewan is launching yet another campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of driving distracted.

This new, youth-based distracted driving campaign is called #UNPLUGANDDRIVE. It has one clear, simple message: if you are driving, put your phone away.

"We do know that distracted driving is a topic that has been introduced before, but it doesn't seem to be going away," explained Christine Niemczyk with CAA Saskatchewan. "We do know that distracted driving is anything that takes up a driver's attention while driving."

According to a recent study by CAA, 1 in 6 young Canadians has admitted to driving distracted. Though it is different from the normally observed type of distraction. Rather than texting or calling, young drivers are looking through music apps, messaging apps, maps, or other forms of social media.

Despite it being different from the norm, it is still just as dangerous.

Nearly half of Canadians admitted they have typed out or used the voice memo feature to send messages while driving. If a driver texts, they are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash or near collision. Through a study by CAA in 2018, Canadians say that texting while driving is one of the biggest threats to their personal safety on the road.

You can find CAA's new, animated films about distracted driving here.