Apple’s iPhone 14 Crash Detection feature was to thank for a drink-driver being arrested, according to a report.
The New Zealand man crashed his car into a tree in a central reservation with his iPhone immediately calling emergency services — just as Apple advertises. But alarm bells were raised when the driver told the emergency operator that the police “should not worry about it.”
The person on the line didn’t believe them and police were sent to the scene to find the man intoxicated and aggressive.
iPhone to the rescue
Stuff (opens in new tab) reports that the man didn’t take too kindly to being arrested, adding that he “allegedly pushed at police as they began drink-driving procedures, and refused a blood sample being taken.”
The man now has a court appearance to look forward to after being charged “with refusing a blood sample and assaulting police.”
Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond believes that this is the first time that a drink-driver has been arrested thanks to the iPhone’s Crash Detection feature.
The news, while not necessarily what the feature was designed for, comes at a good time for Apple. Emergency services around the world have already suggested that Crash Detection is causing them headaches, saying that it creates too much work due to false callouts.
The Crash Detection feature is available on the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), and newer. But it’s also available on Apple’s best iPhones — the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
The feature is designed to detect a major crash and then automatically call emergency services after 20 seconds unless it is told not to by the user. In this case, the man would likely have fled the scene if it wasn’t for that call.