Many states throughout the U.S. now have laws prohibiting phone use while driving, but drivers continue to distract themselves behind the wheel.

Market research firm IDC today released a report showing that 50% of American consumers consider phone access in vehicles to be “vital.” Another 40% consider it “vital” that they have access to navigation, music, and other apps during their drive.

According to IDC, this phenomenon could end up benefitting car manufacturers that are now integrating connected solutions into their vehicles’ designs. As seen at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), vehicle manufacturers and tech companies are gearing up to push connected vehicle technology in a big way starting this year.

“According to our study, most consumers find it vital to access the phone in the vehicle but also want to maintain their ‘digital identity’ by connecting their current device to the vehicle,” said Sheila Brennan, program manager for Connected Vehicle Strategies at IDC. “Therefore, automakers that have a strategy to provide consumers the ability to access their current device’s service through the vehicle, but also gain access to any OEM unique embedded services that come with the vehicle, will gain an advantage in the connected vehicle market.”

IDC’s survey found that consumers overwhelmingly (around 75%) want to be able to access in-vehicle connected services through their own mobile devices. A majority would also like to use their current mobile provider for connected car services, making AT&T’s recently announced deal with Tesla and Audi all the more important.