Brake, the national road safety charity, have welcomed the recent announcement by Apple that its iOS 11 software update is to include a new “Do Not Disturb While Driving” mode for iPhones. It’s something that they’d like other companies to take note of.

“Mobile use behind the wheel is a growing menace,” said a Brake spokesman, Jason Wakeford, “and so Brake would like to see similar initiatives from other phone manufactures to help cut distractions in the car.”

Driving is a highly unpredictable and risky activity and requires full concentration at all times. Drivers who divide their attention between their phone and the road are significantly increasing their risk of causing a devastating crash.

A recent study of in-vehicle video footage estimated that one in five (22%) of road crashes could be caused, at least in part, by driver distraction. It also showed that drivers who perform a secondary task at the wheel are two to three times more likely to crash.

This new Apple feature will detect when someone is driving and turn off all notifications, as well as setting an automatic text response to notify friends and family when the driver is behind the wheel. “This new feature is to be welcomed and will help drivers stay focused on the road and not their phones,” added Wakeford.