Apple is trying to get drivers off their phones (because they were sued)
 

People have tried suing Apple, but I am not actually claiming this is their motivation.
People have probably tried suing car manufacturers for this, too. The article says it uses bluetooth, wifi, and a ouija board to decide if the user is driving and then lock the phone, but only if you have carplay enabled, and do not tell it you are not driving, because people who use their phone while driving would never lie!

https://jalopnik.com/apple-carplay-w...riv-1795828456

People should be allowed to bring a lawsuit against anyone they want if they feel they were unjustly harmed. The losing party should then be required to pay attorney fees.

Or, conversely, they are trying to keep their existing user base alive?

Sure, and the suit should then be thrown out of court, because Apple (or other equipment manufacturers) shouldn't be held responsible for the actions of a few - well, ok, a lot - of stupid people.

Why would a phone be at fault when a driver is tempted to use it and be distracted while driving?

Because the phone has 'deeper pockets' than the driver.

The way phone software is set up, it encourages addictive or impulsive checking.

Just an example article: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog...ing-your-phone

Disabling texting and text receiving on a phone moving faster than 3 MPH would save a lot of lives. GPS tracking should be able to tell how fast the phone is moving, if not instantaneous, over a few seconds of travel. Voice call receipt need not be controlled, but looking up a number while moving faster than 3 MPH should be. This is something the FCC could require in new cell phones. Users may opt to keep their pre-ruling phones, but who can resist that latest incarnation of the I-phone, or Smart phone?

[texting and text displaying] no need in disabling the "ding" that says you just got a new text, only the ability to display that new text. (sorry business travelers, you will just be out of touch until you stop your car. Speeds over 150 MPH" (like in an airplane,) should be exempted.

How does the phone know if the user is driving? Should it disable all phones in the vehicle, including the brats in the back seat? What about bus passengers?