On the Australian island of Tasmania, a Ford Ranger pulling a horse float crashed into a tree stump, triggering the iPhone 14’s crash detection feature and allowing police to arrive at the accident scene in eight minutes. Thanks to the swift arrival of police, all five of her crew members, aged 14 to her 20, were taken to Launceston General Hospital. One of the injured has already been released.
Crash detection is available on iPhone 14 series, Apple Watch 8, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), and Apple Watch Ultra.
The Apple Crash Detection feature is available on the iPhone 14 series (latest version of iOS) and Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), and Apple Watch Ultra (running the latest version of watchOS). Crash Detection uses sensors and algorithms to detect when your sedan, minivan, SUV, pickup truck, or any other vehicle you’re in has been in an accident.
Apple Crash Detection may have helped victims get faster medical attention in early morning crashes
When an accident is detected, your iPhone and Apple Watch will sound an alarm and display a message on the screen. If you only have a phone, a slider will appear on the display to quickly call emergency services. If you have both an iPhone and an Apple Watch, the slider will only appear on your watch and your audio will pass through your Apple Watch when you call emergency services.
In the event of an accident, you have 20 seconds to decide whether to dismiss the alert or call emergency services. If you don’t answer (or can’t answer) within 20 seconds, your phone will automatically dial and message the emergency contacts you’ve added to your device. This message will include your current location and notify the recipient that you have been in a serious car accident.
Tasmanian police inspector praises police’s quick response
All four horses towed by the Ford Ranger died, but four passengers and the truck driver survived. You might think that his Crash Detection feature from Apple is the star here. Ensure that the police arrive quickly at the scene of the accident so that the injured receive medical assistance quickly enough to save their lives. However, Tasmanian Police Inspector Ruth Orr said police were “in the area on unrelated matters” and arrived within minutes.
Still, inspector Orr had to praise Crash Detection, admitting that “…if people were knocked unconscious in a crash like this, they would definitely call the police right away.”