Apple is planning a new feature for iPhones and Apple Watches that would allow the devices to detect if you are involved in a car accident and automatically call 911 for emergency services, according to the Wall Street Journal's Rolfe Winkler.
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Apple plans to launch the “collision detection” feature in 2022, the report claims, citing company documents and people familiar with the matter.
The feature will use iPhone and Apple Watch sensors like the accelerometer to "detect car accidents when they happen" in part by measuring a sudden increase in gravitational force, better known as g-force, during an impact.
The report claims that Apple has been testing the feature for the past year by collecting data shared anonymously by iPhone and Apple Watch users, and the devices have already detected more than 10 million suspected vehicle. As with any feature in testing, the report warns that Apple could choose not to release it.
From the report:
Apple products have already detected more than 10 million suspected vehicle collisions, more than 50,000 of which involved a 911 call.
Apple uses 911 call data to improve the accuracy of its crash detection algorithm, as an emergency call related to a potential crash gives Apple more confidence that it is indeed a traffic accident, the documents state.
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The feature sounds similar to Fall Detection on Apple Watches, which can detect if the user experiences a hard fall and automatically call emergency services unless the user indicates that they are indeed fine and do not need help.
Source of information: macrumors.com
