The iPhone 14's 'Crash Detection' Keeps Calling 911 on Rollercoasters

"The iPhone 14's new Crash Detection feature, which is supposed to alert authorities when it detects you've been in a car accident, has an unexpected side effect," reports the Verge. "It dials 911 on rollercoasters."According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the feature has had law enforcement sent to amusement parks on numerous occasions after mistaking a thrill ride's twists, turns, and hard braking for a real emergency.... If the sensors detect that you've been in an accident, your iPhone will display an alert and call emergency services if you don't dismiss it within 20 seconds. When it calls law enforcement, it will play an audio message that alerts authorities you've been in a crash, and also provides them with your location.... [WSJ reporter Joanna Stern] says Warren County, where Kings Island is located, received six emergency calls triggered by park rides since the iPhone 14's release. She also points out that other users have experienced similar issues in amusement parks across the country. "My time on the crash-detection beat has proven that the feature can absolutely save a life," Stern acknowledged on Twitter. "There's already proof of it helping in real crashes. But there are situations where it works and it shouldn't and others where it doesn't work and it should. "Such is the story of technology!" Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader schwit1 for sharing the story.

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