Forgotten on the car roof: iPhone that fell off sends emergency call
Near Eisleben, a lost iPhone automatically sent an emergency call on Sunday. It had been forgotten on a car roof and then fell off.
(Image: Pradeep Thomas Thundiyil/Shutterstock.com)
In the south of Saxony-Anhalt, a lost smartphone triggered an automatic emergency call on Sunday, leading to an operation by rescue services and the police. This was reported by the news agency dpa, citing the Halle police inspectorate. The incident occurred near Eisleben. The iPhone had previously been placed on the roof of a car and then fell off at an intersection. The crash detection feature then triggered the automatic emergency call. When the police and rescue services reached the reported location, they found no person in need of help, but only the smartphone lying by the roadside. The owner of the phone was quickly located and has since had their device returned.
Not an isolated case
Apple's crash detection has been a feature of current iPhones and Apple Watch smartwatches since 2022, designed to quickly summon help in the event of car accidents. The devices collect data from various sensors, and algorithms then determine on a case-by-case basis whether a serious incident has actually occurred. If crash detection is active, an Apple Watch or iPhone will only contact emergency services if the user does not dismiss the emergency call within 40 seconds. In such cases, the current location data is transmitted so that the crashed vehicle can be quickly found.
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Since Apple introduced crash detection, there have been numerous reports of false alarms. The feature has been triggered unintentionally in ski resorts and amusement parks, among other places among other places. Two years ago, a case in the USA caused a stir when a device called for help, but the owner had already sought assistance themselves. They were then searched for, among other things, by helicopter. The case near Eisleben is not even the first in Saxony-Anhalt where a smartphone forgotten on the car roof has alerted the police. Something similar happened near Rottleberode at the end of 2023. At the time, the police had asked, "Road users are asked to stow their belongings securely to minimize potential dangers or prevent false alarms."
(mho)
