A Ford Ranger towing a horse float crashed into a tree stump on the island state of Tasmania, Australia setting off the iPhone 14’s Crash Detection feature allowing the police to reach the accident site in eight minutes. Thanks to the quick arrival of the cops the five occupants of the vehicle, who ranged in age from 14 to 20, were all transported to Launceston General Hospital. One of the injured was already released.
Crash Detection is available on the iPhone 14 line, Apple Watch 8, Apple Watch SE (2nd-gen), and Apple Watch Ultra
The Apple Crash Detection feature is available on the iPhone 14 series (with the latest version of iOS) and the Apple Watch Series 8, the Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), and the Apple Watch Ultra (running the latest version of watchOS). Crash Detection uses sensors and algorithms to detect when a sedan, minivan, SUV, pickup truck, or any other passenger car you’re riding in has been in an accident.
Apple Crash Detection might have helped victims in an early morning accident get prompt medical attention
When an accident is detected, the iPhone and Apple Watch will play an alarm and show a message on the screen. If you only have the phone, a slider will appear on the display allowing you to quickly call emergency services. If you have both the iPhone and Apple Watch, the slider appears on the timepiece only and if you make the call to emergency services, the audio goes through the Apple Watch.
When the accident occurs, you have 20 seconds to decide whether to dismiss the alert or call emergency services. If you don’t (or can’t) respond within 20 seconds, the call is automatically placed and a message is sent to any emergency contacts that you might have added to your device. This message will include your current location and will inform the recipient that you’ve been in a serious car crash.
The Tasmania Police Inspector takes credit for the quick response of the cops
While all four horses being towed by the Ford Ranger died, the four passengers and the driver of the truck survived. You might think that Apple’s Crash Detection feature was the hero here, helping the police get to the site of the accident quickly allowing the injured to receive medical help fast enough to save their lives. But Tasmania Police Inspector Ruth Orr said that the cops arrived in minutes because they were “in the area on an unrelated matter.”
Still, Inspector Orr did give Crash Detection some faint praise when she had to admit that “…in a case where people had lost consciousness in a crash like this, it is certainly something that alerts police quickly.”
