With its newest lines of iPhones and Watches, Apple introduced a new feature meant to improve safety. The feature was designed to detect when the device (and supposedly its owner as well) has been in a car crash and send the user a message to confirm. However, if confirmation or denial of a crash is not received within 20 seconds, the device will send an automated message and its GPS coordinates to 911.
But like with any new technology, the feature has not been immune to problems. According to Business Insider, Apple’s crash-detection feature keeps mistaking a fall while skiing for a car crash and notifying 911. Suzie Butterfield, a supervisor at Summit County Dispatch Center in Utah, said that when her agency gets these messages and calls the person back, they usually respond that they’re fine, they just fell while skiing.
She added that they are usually unaware that their device made the call in the first place. An Apple spokesperson reportedly told the New York Post that the company had been in contact with emergency centers experiencing the same thing and was aware of the issue. They did not specify if the company was working on a fix at this time. In the meantime, Butterfield urged skiers not to turn off the feature in case they do end up in a crash and need help.
