Car crash detection on iPhone 14 uses a series of sensors on the device to call emergency services if the user believes they have been involved in a car crash. Since the feature launched on new iPhone and Apple Watch models in September, 911 and emergency dispatchers across the United States have been using iPhone 14 devices that erroneously triggered car crash detection, even though no car crashes had occurred. I am noticing an influx of calls from Amid reports of miscalls, Apple released iOS 16.1.2 in November. It said that this resulted in "crash detection optimizations", but no further changes were identified.Despite the update's optimizations, the issue is still a problem faced by law enforcement.As reported by local news outlets this week Colorado Sun911 dispatch centers in counties across the state are seeing an increase in 911 calls from skiers after iPhone 14 and new Apple Watch models misinterpret ski falls as car crashes.
Last weekend, dispatchers at the Summit County 911 Center received 71 automated collision notifications from skiers' iPhones and Apple Watches at four ski resorts in the county. None of them involved an emergency. Dispatch operators in Grand, Eagle, Pitkin, Root, and Summit counties (which have 12 very busy ski areas) have responded to a record number of automated calls from skiers' Apple phones and watches. , has emergency response resources. When a 911 call comes in, each call is handled in the order it arrived, so an automated call from the skier's phone could delay answering her 911 caller in a real emergency.
This means that incidental calls caused by the iPhone 14's functionality must also be addressed and resources allocated, said Trina Dummer, interim director of Summit County's 911 Center. It takes an enormous amount of resources, from dispatchers to deputies to ski patrols, and I don't think we've ever had an actual emergency," Dummer continued.
Accidental calls strain emergency centers that have to reallocate resources away from true emergencies, especially as 911 calls are picked up one after the other. "We're completely diverting essential resources toward cell phone functionality from the people who need it," Dummer said. The county commissioner said up to 20 of these accidental calls a day were due to the collision detection feature.
Pitkin County's 911 center receives approximately 15-20 automated calls per day from the county's four ski resorts. Dispatchers try to return all calls, but often calls to skiers with cell phones in their pockets go unanswered, said Brett Loeb, director of the Pitkin County 911 Center. . Loeb typically has one or two operators handling 911 calls, who can put existing emergency calls on hold and handle incoming calls from iPhones. His team has helped fallen hikers and residents whose watches notify emergency services when they have fallen and need help, but so far, no real-world emergencies with automated calls from ski resorts It has not occurred.
In one case at the Vail Police Department in Vail, Colorado, the iPhone 14's car crash detection successfully called 911 in a real-life car accident, said Mark Wentworth, director of the Vail Public Safety Communications Center, who noted this We emphasized that features have the potential to save lives. I live In Summit County, the iOS 16.1.2 update did little, if not more, to address the problem, according to the county director. "But we haven't seen any change in the numbers. He's getting 20 cases a day, which is a huge drain on our resources," said County Sheriff Jaime Fitzsimons. I'm here. FitzSimons said he shared his concerns with Apple and reported a response that Apple was aware of the issue, but FitzSimons said more was needed. He's been in touch with Apple to tell them to pay more attention to this issue, but it feels like they're trying to put the battleship in the bathtub. ” Automotive Collision Detection is available on all iPhone 14 models and Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra, and second-generation Apple Watch SE.