Crash Detection is one of the most notable new features of the iPhone 14 series and the new Apple Watch devices. This function detects when you’ve been in an automobile accident and uses Emergency SOS to notify first responders and your emergency contacts.
A new video released today takes the iPhone 14’s Crash Detection through multiple tests, with varied results.
This is the second video we’ve seen testing Crash Detection on the iPhone 14 thus far. Last week, YouTuber TechRax tried Crash Detection and demonstrated how it works, successfully generating an Emergency SOS signal many times.
A new video from YouTubers Luke Miani and Sam Kohl takes things to the next level by testing Crash Detection with four distinct automobiles many times. The video shows testing accidents with the automobiles’ front, sides, and back. There’s even a rollover crash to put the functionality to the test.
The results of these tests, however, are particularly intriguing: none of Sam and Luke’s accidents activated the Crash Detection function. Regardless of the severity of the collision, the iPhone 14’s Emergency SOS function never appeared.
As a reminder, Apple states Crash Detection on the iPhone 14 should operate as follows:
When your iPhone detects a severe car crash, it will display an alert and will automatically initiate an emergency phone call after 20 seconds unless you cancel. If you are unresponsive, your iPhone will play an audio message for emergency services, which informs them that you’ve been in a severe crash and gives them your latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates with an approximate search radius.
When a crash is detected, Crash Detection won’t override any existing emergency calls placed by other means.
More than anything, these early testing illustrate that Crash Detection findings might vary for a variety of reasons, and it’s always a good idea to have numerous safety nets in place in case of an accident.
We also anticipate that Apple will continue to improve the function as it gathers more data from real-world examples of the feature in use.
To see the testing and results in action, watch the whole video below (and please don’t do this at home).
