A new feature called “Do Not Disturb” in the latest update to IOS for Apple users could help Arizona residents cut down on distracted driving. Arizona is one of two remaining states without a comprehensive, statewide ban on texting and driving. The Arizona legislature has tried for years to pass a statewide ban, but it continues to fail.
There are city ordinances in statewide that address distracted driving, which may include unsafe lane use, speeding, tailgating, impeding traffic, driving too slow or failing to use the turn signal. Texting and driving are illegal in Tucson, Oro Valley, and Pima County and you can face a fine if you are cited for it.
Arizona has reported 741 car crashes that may have been caused by distracted driving in 2017, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). Cell phone use is highest among teens 16 to 24 years old and plays a significant role in distracted driving accidents.
Apple’s new feature called Do Not Disturb While Driving allows users to block incoming calls and texts while behind the wheel and can be set up to turn on automatically. It can also reply to contacts to let them know you are on the road and can’t respond.
Here is how to activate the feature:
Download the IOS 11 update
Click settings
Select the do not disturb option
Click do not disturb while driving
From there you get three options to choose from:
Automatically: Do Not Disturb While Driving will be activated automatically based on detected motion. The feature will use your phone’s internal sensors to try to sense when you’re driving.
When Connected to Car Bluetooth: In most cases, iOS can tell the difference between a regular Bluetooth speaker and in-car Bluetooth. If you have a vehicle with Bluetooth connectivity, Do Not Disturb While Driving will activate when it connects to your car’s Bluetooth-enabled receiver.
Manually: If you’d rather enable or disable the feature manually method, you can do so as needed.
A car crash can happen in an instant and change your life, or someone else’s, forever.
