Apple Watch 8 series' automated crash notifications feature backfires in ski town
The Apple Watch 8 series, which was released with the feature to send an automated call to emergency services when the device experiences an abrupt stop, usually a result of a car crash, recently backfired.
According to GSM Arena, a tech news-related website, The Colorado Sun has reported that the feature is now backfiring as one US ski town fielded 71 crash notifications.
None of these automated calls was an emergency - skiers just stopped abruptly on the slopes without needing medical attention, as per the outlet.
The iPhone 14 series' "crash detection" and "fall detection" features immediately dial 911. The emergency centre then calls the caller back, and if they do not answer, it is presumed that they have been in an accident and that an emergency vehicle needs to be deployed.
According to Trina Dummer, the interim director of the Summit County 911 centre, these calls involve "a tremendous amount of resources, from dispatchers to deputies to ski patrollers," but none of them was an actual emergency event.
Apple acknowledged the issue with skiers and the collision detection system in a response to dispatch supervisors, according to Grand County Sheriff Brett Schroetlin, and indicated a remedy is being developed in Cupertino, as per GSM Arena.
Meanwhile, apart from crash detection, Apple Watch Series 8 can track changes in body temperature as little as 0.1 degrees Celsius, checking it every five seconds. It comes in four colours: midnight starlight, silver, and product red along with three stainless steel finishes: silver, gold, and graphite.
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