Apple recently introduced crash detection for its iPhone 14 and Apple Watch, meant to help users and wearers contact emergency services should a severe car crash occur. Business Insider Africa reported that the feature also calls 911 when users are having fun: riding roller coasters.
According to reports by both the WSJ and Coaster101, the feature has been mistaking roller coaster rides for crashes. One iPhone 14 Pro phone automatically called 911 while its user was riding Mystic Timbers, a 109-foot-tall roller coaster with speeds up to 53 miles per hour at Kings Island, OH.
“The owner of this iPhone was in a severe car crash and is not responding to their phone,” an automated voice says in the call to 911 before also providing longitude and latitude coordinates. Emergency services responded to the “incident,” which wasn’t the first or last. The local communications center received six other recordings spurred by rides at Kings Island.
And at the theme park Dollywood, TN, signs are posted outside its two most “high-octane” rides. “Cell phones and other devices should not be brought aboard any attraction,” the signs read. “Due to the dynamic movement you will experience on this ride, Apple Watches and similar devices may activate their emergency call function. To prevent your device from making unintended 911 calls, please turn it off or enable airplane mode.”
According to an Apple spokesperson, the feature is “extremely accurate in detecting severe crashes” and will continue to improve with time.
