Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
The Crash Detection feature bundled with the Apple Watch Series 8 has managed to save the lives of three passengers that were involved in a major car accident in Germany.
Local media is reporting that a vehicle that was driving along the Bundesautobahn 20 jumped over the crash barrier and ended up in the bushes some 20 meters away from the road.
The crash was so violent that all passengers were injured and eventually trapped in the heavily damaged vehicle. No other motorist spotted the vehicle running off the highway, and given the car was stuck in the bushes, it could hardly be observed from the road.
This is the moment when the Apple Watch Series 8 stepped in. The built-in Crash Detection feature, which is exclusively available on the latest-generation Apple smartwatch, automatically dialed the emergency services number and submitted the coordinates where the car was located.
The first responders arrived at the scene in a matter of minutes based on the location information provided by the Apple Watch. All passengers were transported to the hospital.
Apple’s Crash Detection system is often a life-saving piece of technology, but on the other hand, the smallest error can turn it into a double-edged sword.
The feature has been blamed for a flood of fake calls to emergency numbers, as both iPhones and Apple Watch incorrectly detected crashes and alerted the first responders without owners knowing about it.
The system works by analyzing data from the device sensors, eventually showing a notification on the screen and asking the owner for input. If no response is offered, the Apple Watch and the iPhone can automatically call emergency teams and send their location.
On the other hand, the owner can always provide input when requested and cancel the emergency call.
The fake alerts typically take place when the device owners do not spot the notification on the screen of the watch or the iPhone. Most of the fake calls are triggered while skiing or even when owners ride a rollercoaster. Due to the sudden change of speed, such as when a skier falls down, Apple’s devices believe the owner might have been involved in a crash and displays the said notification on the screen.
It goes without saying that noticing the alert on a rollercoaster or while skiing is pretty difficult, and as such, Apple devices end up calling emergency teams, as it happened in this case.
The most recent software updates shipped by Apple come with additional polishing for the Crash Detection system, especially as the parent company wants to reduce the number of false positives. The tech giant hasn’t detailed the changes it introduced in these updates, but the company does say that it focused on optimizations for the Crash Detection system.
The crash was so violent that all passengers were injured and eventually trapped in the heavily damaged vehicle. No other motorist spotted the vehicle running off the highway, and given the car was stuck in the bushes, it could hardly be observed from the road.
This is the moment when the Apple Watch Series 8 stepped in. The built-in Crash Detection feature, which is exclusively available on the latest-generation Apple smartwatch, automatically dialed the emergency services number and submitted the coordinates where the car was located.
The first responders arrived at the scene in a matter of minutes based on the location information provided by the Apple Watch. All passengers were transported to the hospital.
Apple’s Crash Detection system is often a life-saving piece of technology, but on the other hand, the smallest error can turn it into a double-edged sword.
The feature has been blamed for a flood of fake calls to emergency numbers, as both iPhones and Apple Watch incorrectly detected crashes and alerted the first responders without owners knowing about it.
The system works by analyzing data from the device sensors, eventually showing a notification on the screen and asking the owner for input. If no response is offered, the Apple Watch and the iPhone can automatically call emergency teams and send their location.
On the other hand, the owner can always provide input when requested and cancel the emergency call.
The fake alerts typically take place when the device owners do not spot the notification on the screen of the watch or the iPhone. Most of the fake calls are triggered while skiing or even when owners ride a rollercoaster. Due to the sudden change of speed, such as when a skier falls down, Apple’s devices believe the owner might have been involved in a crash and displays the said notification on the screen.
It goes without saying that noticing the alert on a rollercoaster or while skiing is pretty difficult, and as such, Apple devices end up calling emergency teams, as it happened in this case.
The most recent software updates shipped by Apple come with additional polishing for the Crash Detection system, especially as the parent company wants to reduce the number of false positives. The tech giant hasn’t detailed the changes it introduced in these updates, but the company does say that it focused on optimizations for the Crash Detection system.
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