Driving? Put UR Phone Down. Now.

If you are in the habit of texting while you drive, you’d better stop. Right now.

If not, you run the very significant risk of receiving a ticket under a nationwide campaign targeting distracted driving that will run for the next three weeks, according to a news release from the state attorney general’s office.

The “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.” campaign will be in place throughout New Jersey through April 21, the release said.

Brick Township’s police department has a message board flashing a warning about the campaign -- part of continuous warnings to drivers on a variety of issues -- on Chambersbridge Road, just before the entrance to Brick Township High School on the eastbound side.

The fine for using a handheld electronic device while operating a motor vehicle is $200 to $400 for a first offense, and can increase to $800 and three insurance points in subsequent violations.

“The dangers of driver inattention are staggering, placing drivers, passengers and pedestrians alike in harm’s way,” New Jersey acting Attorney General John Hoffman said in a news release. “Distracted driving is an incredibly significant issue on our roads and one that requires a total commitment from law enforcement to eliminate. To continue to make our roads safer, we must be as aggressive with distracted drivers as we have been with drunk drivers and people who refused to wear seat belts.”

According to the AAA Foundation, analysis of crash videos of teen drivers found that distraction was a factor in nearly 6 out of 10 moderate-to-severe teen crashes, according to the news release.

Researchers analyzed the six seconds leading up to a crash in nearly 1,700 videos of teen drivers taken from in-vehicle event recorders. The results showed that distraction was a factor in 58 percent of all crashes studied; including 89 percent of road-departure crashes and 76 percent of rear-end crashes. NTHSA previously has estimated that distraction is a factor in only 14 percent of all teen driver crashes.

The news release noted that 38 law enforcement agencies in New Jersey received federal grants of $5,000 to add patrols to conduct the enforcement. The only Ocean County town to receive one was Lakewood.

In last year’s “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.” campaign, New Jersey police issued 13,478 summonses for illegal phone use, 5,908 for speeding and 1,211 for DWI.