One of the new features on the iPhone 14 is Crash Detection, which alerts authorities when it detects you’ve been in a car accident. But there are some unintended side-effects that Apple did not take into account. The new Crash Detection feature on the iPhone 14 is calling 911 when it is taken on a rollercoaster ride.
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According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the new feature has seen law enforcement being called out to amusement parks on multiple occasions after it thought the many twist and turns on the rollercoaster as akin to hard braking in a car or coming to an abrupt stop. This new feature also rolled out on the new range of Apple wearables, including the Apple Watch Series 8, new Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Ultra.
It uses the device’s gyroscopic sensor and high-g accelerometer trained on the impact experienced with simulated car crashes. If these sensors then detect that you’ve been in an accident, your iPhone will display an alert and call emergency services if you don’t dismiss it within 20 seconds. Users obviously weren’t aware that this was triggered while on the rollercoasters and weren’t able to dismiss the notification before that 20 second period.
When it calls law enforcement, it will play an audio message that alerts authorities you’ve been in a crash, and also provides them with your location.
In the report, Wall Street Journal reporter Joanna Stern shares an example of one of the 911 calls placed while an iPhone 14’s owner was strapped to a rollercoaster at Cincinnati’s Kings Island amusement park. As the automated message plays, you can hear muffled screams in the background as the rollercoaster runs its course.
Why people are taking their phones on these rides is another question altogether, but hopefully Apple can patch this feature soon to ensure law enforcement isn’t called out when not needed.
