Apple's iPhone 'Do Not Disturb While Driving' feature helping to reduce dangerous habits
A study found smartphone use while driving continues to be an issue in the United States, but Apple's introduction of Do Not Disturb While Driving last year has made a small difference, reducing the amount of iPhone use while at the wheel by approximately 8 percent.

According to analysis by insurance comparison site EverQuote in its Safe Driving Report, approximately 92 percent of drivers in the United States use their smartphones behind the wheel. Analyzing usage of the EverDrive safe driving app, approximately 88 seconds of the average 21-minute journey is spent on mobile devices.
Driving without due care and attention can be deadly, with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration advising that taking five seconds to look at a smartphone is the equivalent of driving the length of a football field while blindfolded.
To counter the dangerous habit, Apple introduced Do Not Disturb While Driving, initially introduced at WWDC 2017 and shipped as part of iOS 11. The feature automatically detects if the user is driving and automatically blocks notifications from appearing onscreen until the end of the journey.
User data from more than half a million EverDrive installations suggest that most iPhone users embraced the feature at the time of its introduction.
From September 19, 2017 to October 25, 2017, EverDrive detected Do Not Disturb While Driving was active on 80 percent of iPhones during the period. Approximately 27 percent of users disabled the feature after initially using it.
Of those who kept Do Not Disturb While Driving enabled on their devices, EverDrive noted phone usage while driving decreased by around 8 percent. While not a major reduction, it is still a sign that the feature's addition is helping to lower the number of times drivers are distracted during transit.
A survey of EverDrive users for both Apple and Android devices revealed 41 percent were not aware there was any form of Do Not Disturb While Driving feature available to them. For those who did, 75 percent believed it made them safer drivers, while 15 percent didn't believe it was the case.
Apple's Do Not Disturb While Driving is able to detect if the user is in a car, via Bluetooth or USB connections to the vehicle's in-car entertainment system, or by detecting motion. Passengers who are not driving are able to continue using their devices by tapping an on-screen button confirming they are not in control of the vehicle.
The feature prevents drivers from seeing messages and call notifications displayed on the screen, with automatic responses able to be sent back to the sender warning that the user is driving, while "favorite" contacts are still able to break through the block. Features like CarPlay, navigation, and music playback will continue to work as normal.
Before the feature's introduction, Apple was under pressure from critics to add a similar function, and has been the subject of a number of lawsuits. In 2016, Apple was accused of failing to install a "lock-out" facility into FaceTime, one that was claimed could have prevented an accident from late 2014 that led to the death of a five-year-old girl.
An attempted class action lawsuit in January 2017 made similar allegations, claiming Apple put profit before customer safety over the missing feature. In August 2017, another suit brought by the father of a college student killed by a texting driver in 2013 was thrown out of court with prejudice, with the judge reasoning the blame stemmed from the driver's neglect of their "duty to safely operate" the vehicle, and it was unreasonable to say Apple was ultimately responsible for the incident.

According to analysis by insurance comparison site EverQuote in its Safe Driving Report, approximately 92 percent of drivers in the United States use their smartphones behind the wheel. Analyzing usage of the EverDrive safe driving app, approximately 88 seconds of the average 21-minute journey is spent on mobile devices.
Driving without due care and attention can be deadly, with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration advising that taking five seconds to look at a smartphone is the equivalent of driving the length of a football field while blindfolded.
To counter the dangerous habit, Apple introduced Do Not Disturb While Driving, initially introduced at WWDC 2017 and shipped as part of iOS 11. The feature automatically detects if the user is driving and automatically blocks notifications from appearing onscreen until the end of the journey.
User data from more than half a million EverDrive installations suggest that most iPhone users embraced the feature at the time of its introduction.
From September 19, 2017 to October 25, 2017, EverDrive detected Do Not Disturb While Driving was active on 80 percent of iPhones during the period. Approximately 27 percent of users disabled the feature after initially using it.
Of those who kept Do Not Disturb While Driving enabled on their devices, EverDrive noted phone usage while driving decreased by around 8 percent. While not a major reduction, it is still a sign that the feature's addition is helping to lower the number of times drivers are distracted during transit.
A survey of EverDrive users for both Apple and Android devices revealed 41 percent were not aware there was any form of Do Not Disturb While Driving feature available to them. For those who did, 75 percent believed it made them safer drivers, while 15 percent didn't believe it was the case.
Apple's Do Not Disturb While Driving is able to detect if the user is in a car, via Bluetooth or USB connections to the vehicle's in-car entertainment system, or by detecting motion. Passengers who are not driving are able to continue using their devices by tapping an on-screen button confirming they are not in control of the vehicle.
The feature prevents drivers from seeing messages and call notifications displayed on the screen, with automatic responses able to be sent back to the sender warning that the user is driving, while "favorite" contacts are still able to break through the block. Features like CarPlay, navigation, and music playback will continue to work as normal.
Before the feature's introduction, Apple was under pressure from critics to add a similar function, and has been the subject of a number of lawsuits. In 2016, Apple was accused of failing to install a "lock-out" facility into FaceTime, one that was claimed could have prevented an accident from late 2014 that led to the death of a five-year-old girl.
An attempted class action lawsuit in January 2017 made similar allegations, claiming Apple put profit before customer safety over the missing feature. In August 2017, another suit brought by the father of a college student killed by a texting driver in 2013 was thrown out of court with prejudice, with the judge reasoning the blame stemmed from the driver's neglect of their "duty to safely operate" the vehicle, and it was unreasonable to say Apple was ultimately responsible for the incident.
Comments
You should look how often people tend to buy new cars, what happens to cars after their original owner gets rid of it, and what percentage of automobiles actually offer CarPlay before suggesting that "it's no big deal."
Someone created a video that answers your question…
Someone created a video that probably answers your question…
I can only see both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay getting better and better.
I know this is quite hard in today's world, but I think we also need to get past this just because a text came in, doesn't mean we have to respond to it right away. What did we do 10yrs ago when texting wasn't a thing? The earth still rotated, your friends were still there, the sun still rose the next day because you weren't in contact with someone 24/7/365. I'm just a guilty as the next person, but I think its something we somehow need to correct. How? I have not a clue!
https://www.imore.com/how-tell-if-your-car-has-siri-eyes-free-or-carplay-installed
The idea that you would have to buy a new car just to get CarPlay is ignorant of reality -- aftermarket CarPlay head units has been a thing for years. You've likely read and commented on articles about this very topic, as they've been covered both here and on MacRumors which you participate on, so really not understanding your narrative.
Plus even if you have CarPlay you’re still taking your eyes off the road to read the message. The LCD screen isn’t located in the windshield!
If this isn't standard—not interns of look, but in terms of button and knob mapping and display sizes—I wonder if it ever could be.