iPhone 14's Crash Detection Mistaking Roller Coaster Rides for Car Crashes

[MacRumors]

The iPhone 14's Crash Detection feature is accidentally being triggered and therefore calling emergency services when users are riding a roller coaster rather than being involved in a real automotive accident.

As reported by The Wall Street Journal, several users of the new iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro at amusement parks across the United States have reported emergency services and contacts being alerted that they've been involved in a car crash as they've ridden roller coasters. The accidental trigger of Apple's latest safety features is likely caused by the sudden braking and movement of roller coasters, triggering the iPhone's sensors to misinterpret the movement as a car crash.

The Wall Street Journal reports at least six incidents of emergency services being called for false alarms. In response to the false alarms, an Apple spokesperson said Apple tested the feature with over a million hours of car crash data and real-world driving analysis. Several tests have already been done to test the accuracy of the iPhone 14's Crash Detection, with varying results.

In response to a test done by The Wall Street Journal in a junkyard where the iPhone failed to notice some car crashes, Apple said the testing condition did not provide the iPhone with enough factors to trigger an alert. Apple said the iPhones were not connected to Bluetooth or CarPlay and may not have traveled enough distance before impact for the device to register the crash. Crash Detection is available on the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Series 8, and Apple Watch Ultra.

Article Link: iPhone 14's Crash Detection Mistaking Roller Coaster Rides for Car Crashes

 

[geartau]

as it should...

 

[scotterlememester]

I am 100% sure theme parks would not allow guests to bring their phones onto the rollercoasters.

Edit 2: I noticed that Sami deleted his comment 🤔🤔🤔

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

As long as you have time to respond to the auto-dialler, it doesn’t seem like an issue. How often do you go on a high intensity roller coaster that, by sheer chance, happens to trigger this feature?

 

[Carlson-online]

and those youtubers destroyed cars when they could have been doing this instead !

 

[dazzysima]

I am 100% sure theme parks would not allow guests to bring their phones onto the rollercoasters.

Wut? It will just be in the pockets of those on the rollercoaster.

 

[scotterlememester]

Wut? It will just be in the pockets of those on the rollercoaster.

There are cases where phones can fly out of the person’s pocket and hit someone, hence the loose article policy at some parks

 

[Ashbash75]

Who takes their iPhone on a roller coaster in the first place?

The same people that take them to the beach, on the water, up a mountain.....

 

[daniesy]

As a software developer, you should always think about edge cases when developing a new feature. And rollercoasters should have been an obvious one. I guess that the last 3 remaining smart devs at Apple were all working on the dynamic island.

This is a pointless feature that I will disable as soon as I get my 14 pro. Most likely when you’re having an accident, other drivers will see you and dial 911. Like it already happens.

 

[simps100]

My 14 pro was in my pocket at the weekend on several rollercoasters and no issues!

That said in the past on older iPhones it’s definitely pocket dialled emergency services when on a rollercoaster, maybe it was fall detection? I only noticed a few days later when I was in my call history and saw a 2 min call to 999!

 

[Kissmo1980]

What world we are living in - living at the mercy of our phones.
If this is a problem that is worth making a big deal out of.... Jesus!

There is a mental recession going around this planet, not just financial.

Turn the darn car crash detection before jumping into such rides and go about your life.
Humanity has reached the peak of boredom and makes drama about the most irrelevant things.

What's next? Without devices we won't go out of the house soon? 🤕🤕🤕

 

[NightFox]

Who takes their iPhone on a roller coaster in the first place?

I'd imagine close on 100% of iPhone owners who go on rollercoasters?

 

[NightFox]

I am 100% sure theme parks would not allow guests to bring their phones onto the rollercoasters.

I can't even begin to count the number of theme parks I've been to in the US, Europe and Middle East, yet I've never been to a park or even one single ride where mobile phones were not allowed.

 

[SD449]

Cue whiplash claims from roller coasters in 3..2..1..

 

[BanjoDudeAhoy]

Considering the forces at play on some roller coasters, is this really surprising?
I do wonder how Apple would exclude this, though.
Based on location? What if you’re on a roller coaster that’s not on Apple Maps yet?

 

[iphonehype]

I am 100% sure theme parks would not allow guests to bring their phones onto the rollercoasters.

I've done it every year since the original iPhone in 2007!

 

[NightFox]

What world we are living in - living at the mercy of our phones.
If this is a problem that is worth making a big deal out of.... Jesus!

There is a mental recession going around this planet, not just financial.

Turn the darn car crash detection before jumping into such rides and go about your life.
Humanity has reached the peak of boredom and makes drama about the most irrelevant things.

What's next? Without devices we won't go out of the house soon? 🤕🤕🤕

I think your rant is misplaced on this occasion. This is a genuinely potential life-saving feature, not just something like your phone telling you what colour shoes to wear. The trouble is, if it's distracting emergency services with false alarms, then it can also be putting lives at risk. It's all very well saying 'just turn it off' before going on a rollercoaster, but with a set-and-forget feature like this, people just aren't going to know, remember or be bothered to do so.

 

[Nozuka]

They might have let this happen on purpose, to get more media attention for the feature...

Update will likely come soon anyway.

 

[hoorayforhollywood]

16.2 update - if your phone knows your geo location as being an amusement park (which it does) then don't call the emergency services because it isn't a car crash it's a ride. Come on Apple, you're better than this.

 

[rjw1678]

OnStar has been providing automoble crash detection and notification for years. In my opinion this is Apple is trying to do what OnStar has doing better for years, because OnStars's crash detection is built into the automobile. Whenever I get an iPhone with crash detection, it will be turned OFF.

 

[DENZIE]

Apple should use the gps to see they’re at a theme park.
Surely a software update would fix it.

 

[x5tuu]

I can this 'feature' being changed so that its only operational if CarPlay is connected (making it useless as a passenger etc.)

Thats one of the only ways to stop accidental triggers - as these could easily be triggered by train motion etc. too (shunting or emergency stops etc.)

 

[Kissmo1980]

I think your rant is misplaced on this occasion. This is a genuinely potential life-saving feature, not just something like your phone telling you what colour shoes to wear. The trouble is, if it's distracting emergency services with false alarms, then it can also be putting lives at risk. It's all very well saying 'just turn it off' before going on a rollercoaster, but with a set-and-forget feature like this, people just aren't going to know, remember or be bothered to do so.

1 - this is not a rant - more like a sad realization

2 - potential life-saving feature - I agree - but I think it's over hyped. This will be an issue constantly as long as you use accelerometers to detect car crash. We are traveling in many ways and putting your safety in the hands of a phone - at least at this stage is beyond insanity.
Again - you mention this is a life-saving feature - if it's exactly the reason people should be turning it off and then on when they jump on roller coasters - you're pretty much signing up for an "extreme" experience.

You're gonna tell me next that sky diving or any other sports report as car crash and people shouldn't turn the feature off?

If so - I can already tell you that you are confirming the sad realization that humanity has hit the bottom in terms of using their heads.

 

[ninecows]

Who takes their iPhone on a roller coaster in the first place?

Well… I do. I have one of these ancient iPhone mini that can fit nicely and safely in my pocket.

 

[n-evo]

Apple should use the gps to see they’re at a theme park.
Surely a software update would fix it.

What if you crash your car on the theme park parking lot or into the theme park?