Tag: Apple Crash Detection

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Apple Watch Crash Detection helped response team locate car accident in Germany

Apple’s Crash Detection feature is notorious for pushing out false negatives. Over the past few months, there have been several reports of the feature triggering emergency calls when the wearer of an Apple Watch or someone with an iPhone 14 series device is engaging in winter sports, or riding on a roller coaster.

Amid the false positives, there have been several cases where the feature has actually assisted in locating someone in dire need of help.

News coming out of Germany via Mittelbayerische Zeitung suggests that the Crash Detection was responsible for helping three people that were in a car crash where their vehicle fell down a deep embankment.

The report says that the car was driving in the area of ​​the B20/A3 near Steinach. “Shortly before entering the A3 motorway, the 21-year-old driver left the lane to the right, drove through a green strip and was catapulted over the crash barrier by a mound of earth,” reads the translated report. “The vehicle then got stuck in bushes below the roadway,” and could not be seen from the road. One of the passengers was wearing an Apple Watch Series 8, which was quick to alert emergency services about the crash.

Emergency services rushed to the scene, and were able to pinpoint the location of the crash thanks to the Crash Detection feature. “After the fire brigade had given the rescue workers access to the steeply sloping terrain using ladders and ropes, three injured people were freed and given medical care,” reads the translated report. The driver of the vehicle suffered minor injuries while the two passengers suffered serious injuries. All three were taken to a nearby hospital.

This isn’t the first time the features have made headlines for helping people. Just last month, the feature aided response teams to locate the scene of a car accident in Tasmania. Similarly, it also helped rescuers locate two people who accidentally fell into a remote California canyon.

Apple is also making “optimizations” to the Crash Detection feature with iOS 16.3.1, though the company hasn’t detailed what it means when it says “optimizations” or how the update would help prevent false positives. Crash Detection is turned on by default. You can turn off alerts and automatic emergency calls from Apple after a crash in Settings > Emergency SOS, then turn off Call After Severe Crash.

Source: Mittelbayerische Zeitung Via: 9to5Mac

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Mobile Syrup

Apple’s Crash Detection goes through another round of ‘optimizations’

Apple’s Crash Detection feature is a genuinely useful tool that also has several drawbacks.

Reports regarding false crash signals with the feature aren’t entirely new. Following the feature falsely detecting crashes when the wearer is riding a roller coaster, it was discovered that Crash Detection also sometimes gives false positives when the user participates in winter sports like skiing.

Apple’s iOS 16.1.2 update included “Crash Detection optimizations,” though it seems the update wasn’t enough to deter false positives, and the Cupertino-based giant is now trying to optimize the feature again. The New iOS 16.3.1 update provides bug fixes for iCloud settings which were being displayed incorrectly or were unresponsive in situations where apps were using iCloud. It also fixes a bug where Siri requests for ‘Find My’ were not working for some users.

Additionally, “Crash Detection optimizations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models” are included in the update.

Apple didn’t detail what it means when it says “optimizations” or how the update would help prevent false positives. Crash Detection is turned on by default. You can turn off alerts and automatic emergency calls from Apple after a crash in Settings > Emergency SOS, then turn off Call After Severe Crash.

To update your device to iOS 16.3.1, head to Settings and tap on General. Choose Software Update, and iOS 16.3.1 should be available for you to download. Elsewhere, security and bug fixes for the Apple Watch, Macs, the Apple TV and the iPad also rolled out.

Via: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Apple’s Crash Detection feature makes false emergency calls in Japanese Alps

There’s no arguing Apple’s Crash Detection can be helpful in many serious situations, but the feature has its drawbacks.

That includes activating when emergency services aren’t needed, such as skiing. And now, it looks like the false positive has put a serious strain on at least one emergency response team.

The fire department located in Kita-Alps, Nagano, Japan, received 134 false alerts between December 16th and January 23rd. Most of these resulted from the Apple feature falsely signalling the system as device holders went down ski slopes.

Available on the iPhone 14 series, Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE (2022), the feature starts a countdown when it thinks the user has been in a crash, resulting in an automated call to emergency services.

The feature has also been falsely activated on rollercoasters.

Apple has attempted to address the issue through its iOS 16.1.2 release that deals with “Crash Detection optimizations.” However, it remains unclear if the update has solved the matter.

Image credit: Shutterstock 

Source: The Japan News Via: 9to5Mac

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Mobile Syrup

Apple’s Crash Detection alert lead to an extended helicopter search in B.C.

Apple’s Crash Detection feature making falls emergency calls isn’t something new.

Following the feature falsely detecting crashes when the wearer is riding a roller coaster, it’s was found that the feature also gives false positives when the user is enjoying winter sports like skiing. Now, as reported by The Globe and Mail, via iPhoneinCanada, instances of false alarms rung by the feature have also been reported in Canada.

According to the publication, there were at least four instances in the week of December 15th.

For those unaware, Apple introduced Crash Detection alongside the iPhone 14 series at its latest fall hardware event. The feature is only available with the iPhone 14 series, the Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE (2022) and alerts nearby authorities when it detects that you’ve been in a crash.

One of the instances took place on December 11th, wherein and iPhone stashed in the glovebox of a snowmobile around British Columbia’s backcountry alerted authorities, and a wide search involving the RCMP, and an extended helicopter flight ensued. It is estimated that the search cost Canadian tax payer’s roughly $10,000.

“The following day, Golden and District Search and Rescue received two more emergency calls related to Apple Inc.’s new crash detection system,” reads The Globe and Mail’s report. “A similar thing happened on Saturday near Rossland, B.C., where police believe a skier’s phone mistakenly called for help.”

Apple has released a new iOS 16.1.2 update, which includes “Crash Detection optimizations.” It’s currently unknown how much the update helps in preventing false positives.

Crash Detection is on by default. You can turn off alerts and automatic emergency calls from Apple after a severe car crash in Settings > Emergency SOS, then turn off Call After Severe Crash.

Source: The Globe and Mail, via: iPhoneinCanada