Rollercoasters trigger new iPhone emergency calls

Some new iPhones have been known to make emergency calls whilst riding rollercoasters.

The collision detection technology on the phones was activated at one US amusement park, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

The new iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Series 8, Ultra, and SE with the most recent OS both come with the capability.

According to Apple, the technology will advance over time and is meant to bring “peace of mind.”

The crash detection system, though a recent addition to the iPhone, recently proved its value by informing emergency personnel of a tragic accident in Nebraska.

Crash detection is already present in the Google Pixel smartphone.

The WSJ has previously reported testing Apple’s system in various crashes, including utilizing a “demolition derby” driver’s talents, and found no evidence that the system was too sensitive.

However, records of six calls made by iPhones to local emergency services while on rides at Ohio’s Kings Island amusement park were given to the newspaper. These calls came from iPhones whose crash detection system had been activated.

An automated message from an iPhone can be heard saying: “The owner of this iPhone was in a catastrophic vehicle crash and is not responding to their phone” in a recording of one of the calls that the newspaper was able to obtain. In the distance, the sound of the amusement park can be heard.

False alarms can upset loved ones and waste the time of emergency responders.

“We keep a close eye on calls. No call is ever examined. You grow used to receiving calls that are not emergencies, but it strains the dispatchers “According to Melissa Bour, the director of emergency services for Warren County, which took the calls,

The amusement park Dollywood, which is partially owned by country music star and literacy activist Dolly Parton, also cautions visitors about the possibility of false alarms, according to the rollercoaster news site Coaster101.

Apple watches and other similar devices should not be brought on the ride, according to signs posted at the entrances to two of the park’s most “intense” roller coasters, according to Coaster101’s reporter. These devices could activate the collision detection feature and unintentionally make an emergency call.

traumatic crashes
The system, according to Apple, is made to identify serious auto accidents, including rollovers as well as frontal, side, and rear-end collisions.

The phone uses a variety of sensors, including as sound, motion sensors, GPS, and changes in air pressure brought on by airbag deployment, to identify collisions.

Users are given the choice to summon emergency services or ignore the notice once a crash is detected.

However, if the user doesn’t answer after 20 seconds, the phone calls emergency personnel automatically and provides the location of the incident. If a user has emergency contacts, it also notifies them of the situation.

Users can disable the feature or put their phone in airplane mode if they are afraid that a scream-filled excursion on a high-adrenaline ride might cause a false alarm from their phone.

Before boarding a ride, several amusement parks request that visitors leave their phones at home.