iPhone Crash Detection- A Life-Saving Feature Introduced By Apple

After detecting an automobile accident, your new phone or watch will notify emergency service providers and emergency contacts through Crash Detection.

Apple offers a solution if you’ve ever worried about being in a vehicle accident with no one to aid you. Apple introduced its new Crash Detection function on Wednesday during the ‘Far Out’ Apple Event, which will detect a car crash, link you to emergency services, give dispatchers your position, and inform your emergency contacts.

The iPhone Crash Detection function will be available on the event’s all-new Apple Watches and iPhones, including the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra, and Apple Watch SE.

Both watches and phones can detect a crash by feeling, hearing, and measuring the impact. To do this, the gadgets use cutting-edge technology like gyroscopes, accelerometers, microphones, barometers, and real-world data.

The watch can initially detect a car collision by tracking rapid changes in speed and direction using an accelerometer and a gyroscope.

Apple’s latest iPhones and Apple Watch models include the all-new safety function. This might imply that the feature could make the difference between life and death in the case of a tragic accident. 

When a user is unconscious or unable to use their smartphone, Apple’s Crash Detection function can identify a severe automobile accident and instantly summon emergency services.

The most intriguing aspect is that the company claims these capabilities were built on existing components such as the barometer, which can now detect changes in cabin pressure, the GPS for additional input for speed changes, and the microphone, which can recognize loud noises typical of severe car accidents. 

The new Crash Detection feature will be considerably easier to access for new Apple Watch users because the watch will be on their wrist and, if functional, will display the emergency services call interface with a 10-second countdown. 

If a user is not responding after the countdown, the gadget will contact 911. Aside from emergency responders, Apple Watch will also communicate the position of the user’s device with emergency contacts.

What is an Emergency SOS on iPhone?

Another safety feature that will be available on future iPhones is Emergency SOS via satellite. So, the new SOS option will come in handy if you get lost while walking on an adventure trip.

According to Apple, the Emergency SOS via satellite includes proprietary components coupled with software to allow antennas to connect directly to a satellite, enabling communication with emergency services when cellular or Wi-Fi coverage is unavailable.

“Satellites are moving targets with limited bandwidth, and communications might take minutes to reach them.” Because every second matters, iPhone front-loads a few critical questions to assess the user’s condition and shows them where to aim their phone to connect to a satellite,” adds Apple.

According to Apple, its professionals will contact the customer on their behalf for the initial questionnaire and follow-up messaging.

Notably, the SOS function will allow users to manually communicate their position with Find My via satellite when no cellular or Wi-Fi connection is available.

Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite capability will be accessible to customers in the United States and Canada in November, and the service will be free for two years. There is no word on whether or not the SOS option will be available outside of these two nations.

How to Prepare Your Phone in case of an Emergency?

Crash Detection is enabled by default on compatible iPhone and Apple Watch devices. You may also take these measures to ensure that your device can communicate the information required by your emergency contacts and first responders.

• Set up your Medical ID and emergency contacts in the Health app to inform your emergency contacts and share your Medical ID with emergency personnel.

• Turn on Location Services for Emergency SOS to communicate your location with your emergency contacts: Turn on Emergency Calls & SOS under Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > System Services on your iPhone.

After a Serious Vehicle Accident, use your iPhone or Apple Watch to make an Emergency Call.

Even if you’re unconscious, your iPhone or Apple Watch can link you to emergency responders after a severe vehicle accident.

If you can react, please do so.

• If you need to contact emergency services, swipe the Emergency Call slider on your device’s screen. Your device contacts emergency services, and you may talk with a dispatcher.

• If you do not require emergency services, hit Cancel and affirm that you do not need emergency services.

If you don’t respond,

• If you haven’t made a call or dismissed the warning after 10 seconds, your smartphone starts counting down again. Your smartphone generates loud whoops to catch your attention throughout this countdown. Your iPhone vibrates forcefully, and your Apple Watch taps strongly.

• If you haven’t reacted by the conclusion of the countdown, your smartphone will contact emergency services.

• When your device makes this automated call, it sends a looping audio message to emergency responders as well as out loud through your device’s speakers. This notification alerts emergency responders that your Apple device detected a serious vehicle accident and that you are unresponsive.

It also provides a search radius based on your estimated latitude and longitude coordinates.

• The message repeats every five seconds, but after the first time, it plays at a lower volume so that you or someone close may talk on the phone to emergency response. You can also pause the recording.

Privacy and Crash Detection

Sensor data from your gadgets are utilized to detect serious traffic accidents. Unless you choose to share your data to enhance Crash Detection, all sensor data needed to identify severe automobile collisions is processed on the device and deleted when a crash is identified.

The microphone on your iPhone, for example, is used to detect high sound levels, which are typical with crashes. The sound levels are shared with Apple if you choose to submit your data to enhance Crash Detection. Raw audio is never captured or kept to detect crashes or improve detecting crashes.

If your iPhone or Apple Watch detects a serious vehicle accident and calls emergency personnel, your device’s location as latitude and longitude coordinates will be included. Whether or whether you have enabled Location Services, the call will disclose your location.

Conclusion

According to reports, Apple is leveraging 911 call data to increase the accuracy of the automobile collision and install a comprehensive feature on iPhones and Watches that has the potential to save millions of lives. 

More experiments are scheduled to be carried out to make automobile collision detection on Apple Watches. The new functionality is most likely to be included with iOS 16 and watchOS 9, both of which are set to be released next year. 

This implies that older iPhones and Watches will be able to use the automobile collision detection capability. For more information follow our other blogs.