Distracted driving is a growing problem that all too often leads to serious injuries and fatalities.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2015, there were 391,000 people injured and 3,477 people who died in vehicle accidents involving distracted drivers. Teenagers were the age group with the largest percentage of individuals killed in fatal crashes.

Authorities suspect that much higher numbers of accidents occur that involve distracted driving than people report.

Apps for Preventing Distracted Driving

Today we have apps for almost everything, and that includes apps for preventing distracted driving. Since cell phone use is a major source of distracted driving here are some apps you may find useful:

Lifesaver. Lifesaver is easy to install. If you have a teenage driver, you can lock the driver’s smartphone while the car is in motion. It provides arrival notification when the driver arrives safely. You are notified of driver status so you can avoid texting a driver or calling while they’re on the road. The app also notifies you if the driver unlocks LifeSaver while driving. For safety reasons in an emergency, the driver can unlock the app and the app sends a text notification to the parent. Another great feature is that teenagers can receive rewards for safe driving. Parents can choose to use iTunes or other rewards. (Available for Android and iOS)

Cellcontrol. Cellcontrol is an app made by Verizon for Android and iOS and consists of a hardwire device placed in the vehicle and an app on your phone. You can use it for teenagers, employees, company vehicles, etc. You can customize the distracted driving rules in your account and the device works on vehicles you want to block from texting, messaging, social media and music apps while driving. You can also get detailed reports on the driver’s performance, such as speeding, braking and accelerating.

Drive Safe Mode. Drive Safe Mode is another app (Android and iOS) for parents to use that prevents texting and emailing while driving. It also notifies parents when the phone is in use and if the driver turns off the app while driving.

For Serious Car Accidents, Seek Legal Help Immediately

When someone else causes a serious accident that results in severe injury or death, the crash is a legal matter. Consult with a lawyer as soon as possible. We can guide you through the legal process and advise you on how to deal with insurance companies and pay bills until your case is resolved.

Sackstein, Sackstein & Lee, LLP focuses its practice primarily on personal injury cases.