iOS 11 Beta: 'Do Not Disturb While Driving' and Other New Features Go Live

By Jessica Ferrera, Christian Post Contributor Monday, June 26, 2017

Apple recently launched the latest beta version of iOS 11 that comes with new contents such as the "Do Not Disturb While Driving" feature.

Reports have it that registered beta testers received the latest iOS 11 beta version last Wednesday, which also debuted the "Do Not Disturb While Driving" feature. This addition was first introduced at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this month.

The name speaks for the new feature's function, and it is something that is really needed given the high number of accidents linked to distracted driving. While there can be many factors as to why a driver's attention may be divided while behind the wheel, the presence of mobile devices definitely increases the risk.

According to the National Highway Safety Administration, up to 660,000 drivers use their mobile phones while navigating a car. The agency also said: "In 2015 alone, 3,477 people were killed, and 391,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers."

Those numbers make the "Do Not Disturb While Driving" feature on iOS 11 a welcome addition. It does not completely turn off the device once a user is driving but its main goal is to help the driver focus and keep his or her eyes on the road.

With the said feature, an iPhone connected to a car through a USB cable or Bluetooth will know that the user could be driving, thus it will activate the feature. What the "Do Not Disturb While Driving" option does is it prevents the device from lighting up if messages or other notifications arrive. It can also automatically send a message to people trying to contact the iPhone user that he or she is behind the wheel.

On the other hand, Apple has also started adding the indoor maps feature on iOS 11. This will be released under the Maps app and will provide future iOS 11 users a detailed map of select malls and airports.

According to MacRumors, the current iOS 11 beta version is equipped with indoor maps of the Philadelphia International Airport; Mineta San Jose International Airport; Westfield Valley Fair mall in San Jose, California; and Westfield San Francisco Centre mall in San Francisco, California.