It has been a bad year on Nova Scotia roads with the number of traffic-related fatalities way up over 2011.

This year, there have been 41 deaths in the province. With nearly half the year left, 2012 is on track to become the deadliest year for car crashes since 2007.

Over the past five years, Nova Scotia roads have become a lot safer.

In 2007, 99 people died in traffic accidents in the province.

That number has dropped steadily to 65 traffic deaths last year.

Traffic investigators are at a loss as to why this year has seen such a high number of deaths.

Since 2007, police have been cracking down more on drunk driving and seatbelt infractions. There are also more divided highways in the province.

Cpl. Ron MacDonald, an RCMP accident investigator, said one factor could be the good weather trend this year.

MacDonald says people tend to lose their focus when it's sunny, getting distracted more easily. He said with more cars on the road, there's a greater risk of a head-on collision.

MacDonald says people need to remember that when they are behind the wheel, it's the most important job in the world and even a momentary distraction, such as reading a text, can have deadly results.