Texting or talking while driving? Police are targeting drivers like you

Newport Beach police and other law enforcement agencies across California will ramp up the enforcement of laws against distracted driving next month.

Extra officers will be on the streets Wednesday and April 15 to educate drivers about the dangers of being distracted by a text message or phone call while on the road, according to the Newport Beach Police Department.

“Driving takes one’s full attention, and any distraction can have deadly, dangerous consequences,” Police Chief Jay Johnson said in a statement. “Imagine driving for four or five seconds while blindfolded … that can be the effect of looking down to send a text message. In the average time it takes to check a text message — less than 5 seconds — a car traveling at 60 mph will travel more than the length of a football field.”

During April last year, Newport Beach police wrote 491 citations to drivers for texting or talking on a phone without a hands-free device. Costa Mesa police wrote 117.

A first distracted-driving ticket in California costs $161. The fine jumps to $281 for a second violation.

— Jeremiah Dobruck

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck