Every now and then law enforcement agencies crack down on one particular driving infraction, such as drunk driving, or not buckling your seat belt, or speeding.

This week they are focusing on the problem of distracted driving. This is a real problem, one that leads to a lot of crashes, and a lot of fatalities. In fact, distracted driving contributes to one in four crashes, 64 deaths and 234 serious injuries each year in Minnesota, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

Cell phones are a major distraction, especially among young drivers. It is illegal in Minnesota to read, compose or text messages and e-mails while driving. The four or five seconds it takes to fiddle with a phone is a long, long time in traffic. In that time at 55 mph, you can cover the length of a football field.

Yet we’ve all seen drivers holding cell phones to one ear, or drivers looking down in their laps with one hand on the wheel while their cars wander outside their lanes. Law enforcement should be cracking down on these drivers.

And they should be cracking down on the ones putting on makeup, reading newspapers, fiddling with radios or GPS systems, or chowing down on fast food while they drive.

Driving is not simple, and it’s not easy. It takes a lot of concentration and attention. Don’t make it harder by multi-tasking while you drive.