A system and method for distraction mitigation wherein a location of a mobile device within one of one or more zones in a vehicle may be determined and the behavior of the mobile device and/or in-vehicle systems, with which the mobile device interacts, may be modified based on the determined location. In one example, the location of a smartphone may be determined to be within the area (a.k.a. zone) of an automobile cabin associated with a driver of the automobile and the smartphone user interface may be locked to prevent direct operation of the smartphone by the driver while still allowing indirect operation via, for example, a Bluetooth connection to an automobile infotainment system.