Tag: 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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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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iPhone 14 Crash Detection helped response team locate Tasmania car accident

Apple’s ‘Crash Detection’ feature built into the iPhone 14 is reported to have helped Tasmanian authorities locate a severe car accident. In response to an accident involving a pickup truck towing a horse box, authorities were able to locate five people involved and have them taken to a hospital for treatment.

Off the coast of Australia, on the island state of Tasmania, a pickup truck occupied by five people was involved in a car crash. At around 1:45 am, the vehicle in question hit a tree stump on the Batman Highway at Rowella. Of the five occupants, one or more were left unconscious while each of them was injured in various ways. The horse box that was being towed had been housing four horses. Unfortunately, due to the box rolling over during the crash, none survived.

Tasmanian authorities were able to respond to the crash quickly and effectively thanks in part to Apple’s Crash Detection feature. According to an ABC News report, police were “automatically notified via a crash detection feature on one of the passengers’ iPhones.” Police arrived on the scene within eight minutes.

Tasmania Police Inspector Ruth Orr later followed up, stating that police were already “in the area on an unrelated matter.” However, the built-in iPhone 14 feature can undoubtedly help save lives. “In a case where people had lost consciousness in a crash like this, it is certainly something that alerts police quickly.”

Upon the launch of the iPhone 14, Apple introduced two potentially life-saving features. On top of Crash Detection, which alerts authorities when triggered, Emergency SOS via Satellite was also presented. In the event that a user is outside of cellular coverage, users can make emergency calls to get help. 

However, while both features have helped users around the world in life-threatening situations, they aren’t foolproof. It’s been shown that Crash Detection has been accidentally triggered simply by riding rollercoasters or even while skiing and snowboarding. A false alert also led to an extended helicopter search in B.C. 

These false alerts have become a nuisance for Apple and local emergency services. The Cupertino company has had to issue “Crash Detection optimizations” via iOS 16.1.2. Crash Detection is turned on by default on iPhone 14 and is also supported across the Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE (2022). Alerts can be turned off via the Settings menu and Emergency SOS tab. Users can then opt to turn off Call After Severe Crash.

Source: ABC News via 9to5Mac

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Apple’s Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via Satellite features save two people who fell in canyon

The small satellite icon moves to tell you where to point your phone for the best connection.

Two people travelling in a vehicle that fell into a remote California canyon were saved with the help of Apple’s Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via Satellite features.

According to tweets by Montrose Search & Rescue Team, deputies and fire were notified of the December 13th crash through a call from the Apple emergency satellite service.

The vehicle had dropped 300 feet. While the occupants extricated themselves, they had no cell service to call for help. But through Emergency SOS via Satellite, the occupants could text a relay center, which then notified authorities.

This isn’t the first time the features have made headlines for helping people.

Earlier this month, a stranded snowmobiler in Alaska used Emergency SOS via Satellite to call for help. The feature is available on iPhone 14 and 14 Pro models and connects devices out of reach of cellular networks with satellites.

However, recent reports have indicated Crash Detection can lead to accidental calls when skiing or riding rollercoasters. Despite the reports, the importance of either feature is hard to argue about.

Source: Montrose Search and Rescue Team Via: MacRumors

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Skiing can trigger your iPhone 14’s Crash Detection feature

Following Apple’s new ‘Crash Detection’ falsely detecting crashes when the wearer is riding a roller coaster, it’s been discovered that the feature also gives false positives when the user is enjoying winter sports like skiing.

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.

Previously, roller coasters were found to be simulating the impact of a car crash and alerting nearby authorities. Now, as reported by KSL (via MacRumors), winter sports enthusiasts in Park City, Utah, have been inadvertently triggering Crash Detection while skiing and snowboarding. “Summit County dispatchers are seeing an uptick in accidental emergency calls from skiers,” reads KSL‘s report.

Summit County Dispatch Center supervisor Suzie Butterfield says she receives three to five false emergency calls because of the Crash Detection technology per day, out of which non have been due to an actual crash. “They usually have no idea that they’ve even called us,” Butterfield said.

Similarly, there have been mentions of the feature going off while skiing on Reddit.

Butterfield insists, even after the false positives, that users should keep the feature on if they’re going to enjoy a day of winter sports. She considers the feature to be a preventive tool, instead of an inconvenience or nuisance. “We do not want you to turn the feature off,” Butterfield said. “We would rather have you be safe. We don’t mind taking that call because if something really did happen, we want to be able to get to you.”

Apple has also 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.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Source: KSL Via: MacRumors

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Apple’s Crash Detection feature is causing accidental calls to 911 on rollercoasters

Upon the launch of the iPhone 14, Apple introduced its Crash Detection feature. The Cupertino company designed the feature to alert nearby authorities when the phone detects a car accident. However, one unforeseen result is that rollercoasters are triggering the feature and calling 911 accidentally.

Over the past month since the rollout of Crash Detection across iPhone 14, Watch Series 8, SE, and Ultra, authorities have begun receiving accidental alerts. Apparently, rollercoasters have been simulating the impact of a car crash, setting off the Crash Detection sensors. The feature utilizes the gyroscopic sensor and high-g accelerometer in order to gauge a car crash. When activated, the device displays an alert and calls emergency services if the alert isn’t dismissed within 20 seconds.

Examples of these accidental calls are surfacing online. In one instance, an iPhone 14 user riding a rollercoaster at Kings Island amusement park. Located in Cincinnati, the owner’s phone triggered the Crash Detection while riding. This sent a call to emergency services along with an audio message. This message contains an alert that the user has been in a crash and provides authorities with their location. In this instance, Warren County authorities received the alert, which was recorded over audio of the rollercoaster and rider screams. Authorities were then dispatched, despite no accident taking place.

As one can imagine, this does create some issues not only for emergency services but for rollercoaster riders as well. Since the release of the iPhone 14, Warren Country has received six emergency calls triggered by park rides. WSJ reporter Joanna Stern notes that this issue is being experienced across multiple parks.

As of now, there’s no failsafe to prevent the feature from triggering while on a ride. Theoretically, Apple could provide an update to allow a temporary pause in the iPhone’s crash detection while riding a rollercoaster. Alternatively, users can put their devices on airplane mode while attending an amusement park. Additionally, users can manually disable the feature on their iPhone 14 or Apple Watch.

Image credit: Apple

Source: The Verge