Fatal collisions on Quebec's roads have decreased in the last year, according to the latest numbers from Quebec provincial police.

In 2012, there were 279 collisions in which at least one person died. That is 15 fewer collisions than in the previous year. Out of those incidents, there were a total of 315 deaths in 2012 and 323 in 2011.

While this is the best annual report to date, the Sûreté du Québec said there is still room for improvement.

Cpt. Jimmy Potvin, director of road security for the SQ, said texting while driving is a real issue when it comes to road safety.

There were over 14,000 infractions for the use of a cellphone while driving in Quebec last year.

"People still do not understood the risks," he said.

Looking down for five seconds to send a text message may seem like a fraction of time, but Potvin said at high speeds it can make a big difference if it delays a driver's response to a potential risk.

For instance, a car speeding at 100 km/h takes 231 metres to come to a complete stop, he explained.