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Drivers who eat, text, comb their hair or otherwise don't pay attention to actual driving could come under close and expensive scrutiny in Dane County this summer.

The Sheriff's Office has received a $34,000 grant from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to up the ante on distracted driving, the grant paying for overtime and education efforts to keep drivers focused on the road.

Texting is the worst multi-tasking task undertaken by drivers, especially by young drivers, and while studies show 94 percent of teens know the danger of texting and driving, 78 percent say they do it.

"How often do we attempt to save time by multi-tasking behind the wheel?," said Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Elise Schaffer. "We eat meals, look at our cellphones, enter an address into a GPS, comb our hair, the list goes on and on.

"Any activity that takes your attention away from driving is the definition of distracted driving."

A hefty fine could dissuade a driver from being distracted. The fine for inattentive driving and/or texting is $187.90, plus four points.

Accumulate 12 points in a 12-month period and your license will be suspended for 12 months.

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