A new report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety finds that smartphone-limiting features, like Do Not Disturb (DND) modes, can significantly reduce distracted driving — but low awareness and misunderstandings about the technology limit its effectiveness.
The study, published in April 2025, focused on identifying barriers to using DND while driving and evaluating whether educational interventions could improve usage.
Younger drivers most likely to misuse or ignore DND features
Researchers found that younger drivers, particularly those ages 18 to 24, were more likely to use smartphones behind the wheel and less likely to consistently use DND technology. Many younger drivers believed they could safely text and drive, reducing their motivation to activate the feature.
Survey results showed that 60% of former DND users said they simply forgot to enable it, while 32% of non-users were unaware the feature existed. Misunderstandings about how DND works — particularly the belief it blocks music and navigation apps — were also major barriers.
Training improves knowledge but attitudes remain unchanged
A 10-week naturalistic driving study with 26 participants revealed that educational training dramatically increased knowledge about DND functionality. After receiving training, all participants understood how to activate the feature and set it to turn on automatically.
While opinions about DND did not significantly change after training, actual smartphone behavior did. Drivers showed a 41% decrease in smartphone interactions after activating DND. Phone pickups declined by 6%, although phone tapping incidents slightly increased, possibly due to additional steps needed to override DND restrictions.
Drivers favor automatic activation in high-risk conditions
The study found strong support for automatic DND activation in stressful driving environments like heavy rain, snow, or traffic congestion. Drivers also favored greater customization, including control over which apps are restricted and insurance discounts as incentives for using DND.
Researchers emphasized that more accurate detection of when a user is driving, along with public education campaigns, could boost adoption of smartphone-limiting technologies.
Key takeaways for improving road safety
The AAA report highlights both the potential and the challenges of smartphone-limiting technology:
- DND features lower smartphone tasks while driving by 41%.
- Forgetfulness and lack of awareness are the top barriers to use.
- Training improves understanding but not necessarily driver attitudes.
- Greater customization and incentives could drive higher adoption rates.
Authors Gabrial Anderson, Taylor Young, Kaitlyn Bedwell, and Sheila Klauer recommend future designs focus on automatic, context-aware activation and improved user control to better combat distracted driving risks.
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