Frequent Malfunctions of 'Automatic Collision Detection' Feature
Surge in False 911 Calls Puzzles Fire Authorities
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] An emergency rescue request was made to the US 911 fire department. Firefighters were dispatched to a ski resort in Frisco, Colorado, but there was no emergency situation. The person who sent the distress signal was happily skiing. A similar incident occurred at an amusement park. Someone put an iPhone 14 in their bag and rode a roller coaster, triggering the automatic collision detection feature, which caused the rescue team to be dispatched.
Apple's smartphone iPhone 14 series' "automatic collision detection feature" is frequently malfunctioning in cases where there is no actual accident, causing headaches for fire authorities. Although Apple conducted a software update last December to improve the feature, false calls still remain numerous.
The New York Times (NYT) reported on the false 911 call incidents involving the "iPhone 14" and "Apple Watch" on the 3rd (local time). The report stated that false 911 calls surged due to the iPhone 14's "automatic collision detection feature," released in September last year. According to emergency call center officials cited by the New York Times, almost all of the incorrect calls are automatic reports coming from Apple devices. It is rare for such false automatic calls to come from Android devices.
Trina Dummer, who works at the 911 call center in Summit County, Colorado, said she manages collision alerts all day long. From January 13 to 22, she received 185 calls in one week, more than double the number from last year.
She expressed concern, saying, "The 'onslaught' of (iPhone 14) calls is desensitizing the 911 call center," and "This causes problems when actual emergencies occur." While skiing, people often cannot hear their phone, so emergency calls are connected immediately. Emergency call center workers have no way to know the situation when the other party does not respond, so they either hold the phone for a long time or dispatch responders to the scene. This sometimes makes it difficult to respond to real emergencies. Several emergency response agencies, including this center, reported these issues to Apple, and Apple inspected the situation on site.
The collision detection feature introduced in the iPhone 14 series and Apple Watch 8 series uses a combination of sensor data to assess potential collisions. When a collision is detected, a warning appears on the screen for 10 seconds. If the user does not respond to this warning, the phone sends a voice message to the emergency call center stating "a serious collision accident has occurred to the user of this device" and provides GPS location information. If the user has designated emergency contacts, text messages are also sent to those contacts.
Criticism of the iPhone 14's "automatic collision detection feature" is expected to continue. It is unclear whether the software update has reduced 911 calls, and it is anticipated that it will take considerable time for all users to update their devices.
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