Apple's Crash Detection feature was released with the iPhone 14 lineup, providing its users with a device that can automatically call emergency services should it detect an accident. However, the detections have not been entirely accurate, wherein the feature classifies other events as accidents.
False Detection
Emergency services are an important resource, and false calls may impede its effectiveness when its efforts are diverted to false positives. Apple Crash Detection feature has been the cause of this several times with the Japanese Alps emergency services.
Between December 16th to January 23rd, the iPhone feature made 134 false calls to the service, indicating that there has been an accident even though the device's user is simply skiing down a slope.
In contrast, the emergency services received 919 in that month, meaning that more than 10% of the times they went to check on the "accident" were wasted efforts. So far, Apple still hasn't found a workaround to differentiate high-speed activities from vehicular crashes.
There have also been false calls made in the US during winter sports, according to 9To5Mac. It also happens with rollercoaster rides or anything that goes through high speeds and forceful impacts, which can be mistaken by the feature's algorithms as crashes.
How Crash Detection Works
The Crash Detection feature is able to recognize severe car crashes in many forms, such as font-impact, side-impact, rear-end collisions, and rollovers. Once it detects that you have been in a car crash, it will display an emergency call slider on the screen and read the alert out loud.
If you do not dismiss or respond within 20 seconds after the alert, your device will proceed to call emergency services and send a message to your emergency contact. The countdown will emit loud whoops to tell you that you need to respond before it calls, according to Apple.
Once the automatic call has been made, your device will play a looped audio message on your device's speakers and to the emergency responders. This indicates that you are unresponsive, and the phone will share your precise location through longitude and latitude.
With the certain measures that the crash detection goes through before it makes the call, users have ample time to cancel it given that the detection is false. However, in events like skiing or rollercoaster rides, the user may not even hear it or not be able to dismiss the alert.
The best option for cases like these is to temporarily turn the feature off, especially when you know that you'll be in circumstances that mimic car crashes like activities that call for high speeds or strong impacts.
To turn crash detection off for your iPhone, go to the Settings app and tap Emergency SOS. You can then toggle the Call After Severe Crash off. For Apple Watch, open the app through your iPhone and tap on Emergency SOS on the My Watch tab, then turn off Call After Severe Crash.
