Emergency services complain about the iPhone 14's crash detection feature: they receive dozens of false calls every day

This year, Apple introduced a new feature for its smartphones and smart watches - car accident detection. Using sensors, the phone recognizes when the owner has been in an accident and automatically sends an SOS notification to the emergency services. But as it turns out, it's far from perfect.

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For example, very often the devices react to common sharp movements and falls. For example, when the user is riding a roller coaster, skiing or performing other physical actions that the smartphone mistakenly perceives as a car accident.

Amid reports of false calls, Apple released iOS 16.1.2 in November, in which it said it had "optimized crash detection." But it did not specify exactly what that entailed. Despite the optimization, emergency services continue to complain about dozens of false calls every day.

For example, over the past weekend, dispatchers at the Summit County Emergency Center received 71 automated notifications of alleged crashes from phones and clocks. And in Pitkin County, the 911 center receives up to 20 such random calls a day. They come from ski resorts, where gadgets mistake their owners' falls for accidents. Often users do not hear 911 calls, so rescuers are dispatched to the scene of the "accident."

According to employees, this takes up a lot of time and resources that could have been directed to people who really need help. Apple is aware of the problem, but emergency services expect more action from it.

The auto crash detection feature is available on all iPhone 14 models, as well as the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra and second-generation Apple Watch SE.

Source: The Colorado Sun