The new Crash Detection feature on the iPhone 14, which is supposed to alert authorities when it senses you have been in a car accident, has an unexpected side effect: it makes you feel like you are on a roller coaster. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the feature has had law enforcement sent to amusement parks on many occasions after they mistook a thrill ride for a real emergency.
A gyroscopic sensor and high-g accelerometer are included in Apple's new phones and watches to help detect crashes. If the sensors detect that you've been in an accident, your phone will display an alert and call for help if you don't dismiss it within 20 seconds.
If it calls law enforcement, it will play an audio message that will alert them of a crash and give them your location. If you have an Apple Watch with Crash Detection, it can notify authorities if you have your phone with you, but only if you have your phone with you.
Several Apple users did that at the wrong time. The WSJ reporter shared an example of an emergency call that was placed while the owner of an Apple device was on a roller coaster. You can hear muffled screams in the background as the roller coaster runs its course.
In a demolition derby-style experiment, Apple's Crash Detection feature was found to be unreliable. Crash Detection helped detect and alert authorities about a fatal crash in Nebraska, but it has flaws.
Six emergency calls were triggered by park rides after the release of the iPhone 14. Users have experienced similar issues in amusement parks across the country. It isn't a smart idea to bring a phone on a ride, but the risk of false calls might be the reason to leave the device behind.
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