The new Crash Detection feature in Apple’s iPhone 14 smartphones and new Apple Watch is intended to be activated in a car crash and assist the phone’s user in calling emergency services in the case that they become injured.
However, taking your phone on a roller coaster could possibly result in Crash Detection being mistakenly activated. This feature seems to mistake certain roller coaster rides for car accidents. As a result, automated calls alleging false car accidents are being made to some 911 dispatch centers.
The Wall Street Journal said that it has occurred in a number of amusement parks across the USA, including Six Flags in New Jersey and Kings Island near Cincinnati. In a few instances, the phones called emergency services while the riders were on the rides, leaving them powerless to intervene until the ride ended.
However, According to an Apple spokesperson, the function is “very reliable in recognizing serious accidents” and its algorithms were tested using “over a million hours of crash data.” They said that Apple would keep enhancing Crash Detection in the future.
Although Crash Detection on iPhone 14 isn’t perfect, both in testing and in actual use, it has already been shown to function as planned. In a remote area close to Lincoln, Nebraska, a week ago, an iPhone picked up the impact of a fatal car crash and notified the emergency authorities.
False positives, however, are problematic since they cost 911 operators and responders valuable time.
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