Apple Inc’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) newest smartphone line includes a crash detection feature that notifies emergency responders in case the owner of the device is involved in an automobile collision, but it also appears to be triggered by rollercoasters.
What Happened: Law enforcement was notified numerous times after iPhone users went on rides in amusement parks, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
Joanna Stern, a reporter for the Journal, said she was provided six recordings of iPhone crash-detection-triggered calls by the Warren County Communications Center. These calls were triggered by iPhones of people on rides at the Kings Island amusement park, outside of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Stern wrote that similar alerts were also reported by the Joker roller coasters at the Six Flags Great America near Chicago. The reporter also shared a video of such a call on her Twitter profile.
Since the iPhone 14 went on sale, the 911 dispatch center near Kings Island amusement park has received at least six phones calls saying:
“The owner of this iPhone was in a severe car crash…”
Except, the owner was just on a roller coaster.
by me: https://t.co/hp1fHZBIf6 pic.twitter.com/i0lZPoWzGz
— Joanna Stern (@JoannaStern) October 9, 2022
Apple did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comment.
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Why It Matters: The director of emergency services for Warren County, Melissa Bour, said, “You get used to calls that are not an emergency, but it’s wear and tear on the dispatchers,” reported the Journal.
At least one user whose iPhone triggered crash detection reportedly couldn’t reach his phone even when he heard the alarm go off because he was still strapped to the ride.
Recently, a YouTube channel “TechRax” crashed cars head-on to illustrate how the crash detection function works on an iPhone 14.
The feature doesn’t require setting up, but can be turned off in the Emergency SOS settings, according to the Tim Cook-led company.
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