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More Drivers Using Do Not Disturb Phone Feature, Research Shows

71% are aware of DNDWD, but just 29% use it regularly, according to Cambridge Mobile Telematics report.

Evelyn Pimplaskar
Evelyn PimplaskarEditor-in-Chief, Director of Content
  • 10+ years in insurance and personal finance content

  • 30+ years in media, PR, and content creation

Evelyn leads Insurify’s content team. She’s passionate about creating empowering content to help people transform their financial lives and make sound insurance-buying decisions.

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Chris Schafer
Edited byChris Schafer
Chris Schafer
Chris SchaferDeputy Managing Editor, News and Marketing Content
  • 15+ years in content creation

  • 7+ years in business and financial services content

Chris is a seasoned writer/editor with past experience across myriad industries, including insurance, SAS, finance, Medicare, logistics, marketing/advertising, and many more.

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John Leach
Reviewed byJohn Leach
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John LeachSenior Insurance Copy Editor
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John leads Insurify’s copy desk, helping ensure the accuracy and readability of Insurify’s content. He’s a licensed agent specializing in home and car insurance topics.

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National Do No Disturb While Driving (DNDWD) Day arrives on Oct. 16 this year. But many drivers still aren’t using this distraction-busting phone feature, new data shows.

Just 29% of drivers say they frequently use the feature, which automatically silences email, text, and other notifications while driving, according to Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT). Another 30% say they use it infrequently.

Still, the numbers are trending positively, according to CMT. Between 2023 and 2024, the number of drivers who regularly use DNDWD jumped 26%. And in 2025, usage rose by 9%. Unfortunately, the number of drivers who never or rarely use the feature also rose, from 21% to 30%.

The DNDWD age gap: Older drivers are more likely to use it

Adoption of DNDWD is up among drivers 30 and older, with the biggest usage increase among the 60-plus cohort. But between 2024 and 2025, the number of drivers 29 and younger who use the feature plummeted from 44% to 29%, CMT’s data shows.

The 35% plunge wiped out the substantial usage increase among young drivers in 2024, when adoption grew from 29% (in 2023) to 44%.

“This reversal suggests that last year’s surge was temporary, rather than part of a lasting trend,” CMT’s report notes.

Meanwhile, usage increased by 45% among drivers 45–60 and by 67% among those 60 and older.

Adopters embrace the tech, but non-adopters seem entrenched

Safety is consistently the top reason that drivers cite for using the DNDWD feature, which is built into every smartphone, CMT’s report says. Hands-free laws are also a top motivator, according to 41% of responses. In all, 31 states now have hands-free phone laws for drivers, CMT says.

Drivers who’ve adopted DNDWD strongly believe in its efficacy. Seventy-seven percent of users say it makes them a safer driver. And 88% say other drivers would benefit from using it, CMT reports.

Awareness of the DNDWD feature is up among all age groups except drivers younger than 29, where awareness fell 3% year over year. Drivers 60 and older had the biggest awareness boost: 60% are aware of the tech in 2025, vs. just 37% in 2024, according to CMT’s report.

But rising awareness hasn’t necessarily equated to broader acceptance of the safety feature.

Just 22% of drivers who say they recently became aware of the feature said they plan to use it — 49% less than last year. And the cohort of drivers who say they just won’t use it soared by 60%, from 27% last year to 43% this year, CMT reports.

Non-adopters cited fears of missing important calls or messages, perceived inconvenience of activating DNDWD, and a belief that it’s unnecessary as their reasons for resistance.

What’s next? Curtailing distracted driving saves lives

Do Not Disturb While Driving Day is an initiative of the National Distracted Driving Coalition. It occurs on the third Thursday in October — Oct. 16 this year. The initiative’s aim is to raise awareness and adoption of the built-in phone feature.

Distracted driving causes numerous traffic deaths each year. In 2023, distracted drivers caused 3,275 fatalities and 324,819 injuries, according to the most recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Cell phone use is a major — and deadly — distraction behind the wheel. It was a factor in 397 deaths and 369 accidents in 2023, according to NHTSA data. Using a cell phone behind the wheel makes you three times more likely to crash, according to the Federal Highway Administration.

Avoiding cell phone use while driving can significantly reduce your risk of getting into an accident — and may also be good for your insurance premium. Distracted driving leads to accidents, and accidents typically add up to higher car insurance premiums.

Evelyn Pimplaskar
Evelyn PimplaskarEditor-in-Chief, Director of Content

Evelyn Pimplaskar is Insurify’s director of content. With 30-plus years in content creation – including 10 years specializing in personal finance – Evelyn’s done everything from covering volatile local elections as a beat reporter to building fintech content libraries from the ground up.

Before joining Insurify, she was editor-in-chief at Credible, where she launched and developed the lending marketplace’s media partnership’s content initiative and managed the restructuring of the editorial team to enhance content production efficiency. Formerly, as tax editor for Credit Karma, Evelyn built a library of more than 300 educational articles on federal and state taxes, achieving triple-digit year-over-year growth in e-files from organic search.

Her early career included work as a content marketer, vice president and managing officer of a boutique public relations agency, chief copy editor for 14 weekly Forbes publications, reporting for large and mid-sized daily newspapers, and freelancing for the Associated Press.

Evelyn is passionate about creating personal finance content that distills complex topics into relatable, easy-to-understand stories. She believes great content helps empower readers with the information they need to make important personal finance decisions.

Chris Schafer
Edited byChris SchaferDeputy Managing Editor, News and Marketing Content
Chris Schafer
Chris SchaferDeputy Managing Editor, News and Marketing Content
  • 15+ years in content creation

  • 7+ years in business and financial services content

Chris is a seasoned writer/editor with past experience across myriad industries, including insurance, SAS, finance, Medicare, logistics, marketing/advertising, and many more.

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John Leach
Reviewed byJohn LeachSenior Insurance Copy Editor
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John LeachSenior Insurance Copy Editor
  • Licensed property and casualty insurance agent

  • 8+ years editing experience

  • NPN: 20461358

John leads Insurify’s copy desk, helping ensure the accuracy and readability of Insurify’s content. He’s a licensed agent specializing in home and car insurance topics.

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