Do Not Disturb While Driving Day - October 15, 2026
Join the movement and spread the word on Thursday, October 15, 2026! National Do Not Disturb While Driving Day (DNDWD) is observed annually on the third Thursday in October, drawing attention to a life-saving feature that is already integrated into every smartphone.What is Do Not Disturb While Driving?
Do Not Disturb While Driving settings block calls, texts and other notifications while you’re driving, and help keep you focused on the road ahead.
Get involved
Show you care about the lives of your friends, family members and even strangers. Choose to stay safe by turning on your phone’s Do Not Disturb function and tell others to do the same. Join our movement and spread the word: enabling a simple setting on your phone could save your life.
Just turn it on!
Why is this important?
Distracted driving: An underreported problem
- A 2026 study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that cellphone use prior to crashes was undercounted in police reports by a factor of at least seven.
- A recent government study estimates that distraction was involved in 28% of all crashes in 2021, resulting in 12,405 fatalities and a societal cost of $158 billion.
Do Not Disturb While Driving: An underutilized feature
While DNDWD settings can help keep drivers focused, devices generally require users to opt-in, which has resulted in low use rates.
- Recent research from Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) finds that awareness of DNDWD features has grown, reaching 71% in 2025, but frequent use of the feature remains below 30%.
- CMT also finds that drivers over 45 are increasingly embracing the feature, but usage remains less consistent for younger drivers.
Get involved
- First and foremost, ensure your device’s DNDWD feature is set up to automatically enable each time you’re behind the wheel.
- Talk to family and friends about the importance of using the feature.
- Share DNDWD Day messaging on your social media channels (see below for graphics!), and use hashtags #JustDrive, #ButNotWhileDriving and #DNDWD26 to join the conversation.
- Organizations can implement DNDWD policies for fleets and other travel.
- Issue a press release announcing your organization’s participation in National DNDWD Day
- Ask local government to issue proclamations to recognize the day.
Download all graphics (zip): 2026 DNDWD Day Social Graphics
How-to Videos
Do Not Disturb While Driving Day Partners
Imagine!
Just Drive, Inc.
TRC
A Coalition Committed to Solutions
This awareness day is organized by the National Distracted Driving Coalition (NDDC) as part of our mission to elevate proven strategies for safer roads.
The National Distracted Driving Coalition (NDDC) brings together experts from transportation, public health, law enforcement, research, industry, and advocacy—working together to eliminate distracted driving through coordinated, evidence-based action.
Together, we can create safer streets and a stronger culture of attentive driving.
Social Media Graphics