We all know texting while driving is dangerous. But for many people, the desire to see why their phone is buzzing sometimes overrides their better judgment.
The old Apple ad schtick said “there’s an app for that.” But a new feature is not going to be an application, it’s going to automatically come on everyone’s iPhones with the next update.
The feature, called “Do Not Disturb While Driving,” senses when you’re driving using either Bluetooth or WiFi doppler effect to detect how fast you are moving. If you try to access your phone while driving, your screen will be blank. The feature will come with the iOS 11 update, Apple executives announced at a conference on Monday.
The phone will withhold any notifications and prevent you from accessing most apps, excluding some navigation apps such as Apple Maps. Even on those navigation applications, you will not be able to adjust your destination while moving.
You can choose to have certain people who text you receive an automatic reply that you’re driving and will respond later. You can also select certain contacts who can respond to the automatic reply with “urgent” and then will be patched through to you, according to Engadget.
You can disable the feature on your phone by indicating you’re a passenger.
The feature does not affect Apple CarPlay, which allows drivers to respond to text messages and use other iPhone features using voice commands, according to CNN.
Most people praised the upcoming feature on social media.
Every day, about 660,000 people in the United States are using their cell phones while driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Distracted driving, a category that lists texting as the “most alarming distraction,” resulted in 3,477 deaths and 391,000 people injured in 2016. Most states have banned the practice for years.