Just about everyone has a smartphone these days, and if you're like most people, it feels like a critical element of your life. Some people can't go more than a few minutes without checking their phone, and unfortunately, this sometimes includes when they are inside their car. Everyone has heard seen the pleas of driving safety advocates in television commercials and online advertisements to put down the phone. Having to hire a car accident lawyer because someone was irresponsible with their smartphone is sad and ridiculous. If you feel that you have this problem and have been putting yourself and other drivers into danger, this is the article for you. Here are a few tips and strategies you can use to be a safer driver.

Invest in a Car That Provides a Smartphone Hook Up

Plenty of vehicles ship with built-in support for smartphones. Even if your car is a bit older, there is probably a module you can buy that will add this functionality. What exactly a smartphone connection does will vary by car, but the most advanced options automatically sync your phone to a large screen in the center console and allow you to text by simply speaking. Most of these systems also completely lock out your actual phone so that it's not possible to try and send a text, leaving you to keep your eyes on the road.

Go with Bluetooth

If you can't afford a new car or a major new installation to hook up your smartphone, you could try just going with a bluetooth headpiece. When you receive an incoming phone call, your bluetooth piece will automatically answer it if that's how you have it set up. You can then talk to whoever is calling you without having to take your eyes off the road while you try and get your phone out of your pants pocket or purse. This won't help with preventing you from texting of course, but the idea is that you are making an investment in your safety, and hopefully you will remember this and keep the phone out of hand for the duration of the drive.

Download an App That Blocks Smartphone Use While Driving

There are apps you can download today from every major app store that will allow you to block all texting or even all use of your smartphone while driving. The app can use the sensors in your phone to tell when the vehicle is driving above a certain speed, say, 10 miles per hour. When this happens, some of the apps can turn off all texting, phone calls, Internet use and more while leaving only 911 emergency phone calls open until the car comes to a stop again.

If you or someone you know spends too much time texting in the car, consider taking steps to correct the problem. Cars today can be installed with a smartphone hookup to make smartphone use much safer while on the road. A bluetooth headset is a cheaper way to encourage safer driving. You can also download an app on your phone (or on your teenager's) that will block all smartphone use when the car is in motion. If you have personally been injured because of someone else's negligence with their smartphone use while driving, contact your attorney for assistance.