Do people still use the auto patch phone feature in amateur radio?

I remember when I first got my license and got into my first fender bender, the police officer allowed me to use his radio to call my mother. I had no idea what it was, or how it was done, but now that I'm reading up on it I realized that's what I was doing.

What circumstances would you use phone, aside from not having your cell phone, or having the cell towers jammed in emergencies/disasters? Those two are obvious.