Groton — Town police will be conducting a "high-visibility" campaign to cut down on distracted driving.

The department is teaming up with the state Department of Transportation for the initiative, part of the "U Drive. U Text. U Pay." campaign and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The stepped-up enforcement effort was announced in a department news release Tuesday and will be held through the end of the month.

According to the NHTSA, nearly 3,500 people were killed and nearly 400,000 injured in distracted-driver-related motor vehicle accidents in 2015, the release said. In Connecticut, drivers ticketed for texting behind the wheel can be fined $150 for a first offense, $300 for a second offense and $500 for subsequent offenses.

Police and DOT urge drivers to pull over and park their vehicle in a safe place before picking up their cellphone, and also to remind friends and family members never to text while driving.