Apple’s new crash detection results in influx of false reports

The recent rise in false alarms, seen largely in outdoor hot spots, has been attributed to Apple’s new crash detection feature, which uses a combination of data collected by sensors within several of the company's devices to detect sudden changes in movement to determine if a crash has occurred. — Photo by James Yarema on Unsplash

From roller coaster parks to woodland trails, dispatch centres across the US have responded to a mix of familiar and unfamiliar places this winter season for reports of serious accidents – only to find no trace of an emergency.

The recent rise in false alarms, seen largely in outdoor hot spots, has been attributed to Apple’s new crash detection feature, which uses a combination of data collected by sensors within several of the company's devices to detect sudden changes in movement to determine if a crash has occurred. The feature is automatically activated by default with the latest version of iOS on the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro as well as the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) and Apple Watch Ultra.