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Your iPhone Will Soon Detect Car Crashes, Dial 911 If It’s Serious

Everybody knows Apple is working on its very own car, but until the Cupertino-based tech giant comes up with this ambitious project, it has a different strategy to expand in the automotive sector.
Fall detection on the Apple Watch 8 photos
Photo: Apple
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And while CarPlay represents one gigantic step in this regard, the company will soon introduce a new capability that’s likely to play a major role in the overall safety behind the wheel.

iPhones and Apple Watches will be able to detect car crashes, and if no input is provided by the user, to automatically call 911 and provide the location of the accident.

Suppose you're already familiar with the Apple device ecosystem. In that case, you probably know the Apple Watch sports a "fall detection" feature and is supposed to make sure you're alright after taking a fall.

The system works very straightforwardly, so it provides an audio warning after detecting the call, prompting the user to provide input. If no response is given, the Apple Watch can call an emergency contact or 911 directly, with Siri to provide the first responders with your location.

A recent report from the WSJ indicates Apple wants to use the same sensors, like the accelerometer and the gyroscope, to detect car crashes. And the company seems very serious about it, as it has already analyzed 10 million possible impacts to determine just how accurate such a system would be.

By the looks of things, Apple wants to bring this feature to the market at some point in 2022, which means there’s a chance it’ll be part of the next major operating system updates due next year.

If this is indeed the plan, then Apple should announce the car crash detection system at WWDC in the summer, while production devices could receive it in September when Apple releases the next-generation iOS and watchOS software updates. Of course, if it eventually receives the green light for release.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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