The Apple iPhone 14’s new “Crash Detection” feature, which is supposed to call authorities when it detects that someone has been in a car accident, has been calling 911 when unsuspecting users are enjoying rollercoaster rides at theme parks.
If Tim Cook’s crash detection alert is not dismissed by the iPhone user within 20 seconds, then emergency services are called and an automated voice which tells a 911 dispatcher, “The owner of this iPhone was in a severe car crash and is not responding to their phone,” according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
Tim “Apple” Cook Flashes V for Victory (Amy Sussman/Getty)
Listen Below:
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
The iPhone’s new Crash Detection has reportedly resulted in law enforcement being sent to amusement parks on numerous occasions after the feature was triggered by a rollercoaster’s quick turns and hard braking.
In one example, a woman at Kings Island amusement park near Cincinnati got off the Mystic Timbers roller coaster rollercoaster and found that her recently bought iPhone 14 Pro had called authorities. Her lock screen was filled with missed calls and voicemails from a 911 dispatcher asking if she was okay.
Moreover, as the automated message played for the 911 dispatcher, one can hear cheers, music, and other amusement park-related sounds in the background.
The Warren County Communications Center provided the Wall Street Journal with a total of six recordings from crash-detection calls resulting from iPhone 14 owners who were on rides at Kings Island.
The report added that similar automatic emergency calls were made to authorities near Chicago due to the Joker rollercoaster at Six Flags Great America. Owners of the new iPhone have also reported their devices calling 911 after the phones were dropped while driving.
After detecting a car crash, the iPhone 14 reportedly shows a warning on the screen for 10 seconds, and then starts a 10-second countdown, along with an alarm sound. After the countdown, the phone automatically calls 911. It also sends a text to an emergency contact, if the iPhone owner has one stored.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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