Drunk driver arrested after iPhone calls police after crash

An iPhone has ensured that a drunk driver was immediately arrested by the police. But what exactly happened?

iPhone causes drunk driver to be arrested

A 46-year-old man from New Zealand had a few too many drinks and drove his car into a tree at 1am. Thanks to the accident detection (crash detection) on his iPhone, his device automatically called the emergency services.

The drunk driver spoke to the control center via his iPhone, but they thought the man sounded rather intoxicated. That is why she quickly sent a police car. When officers arrived, they gave the man an alcohol test. But the drunk man became aggressive and would not cooperate. He was then arrested and taken away by the police.

Crash detection in short

Apple’s crash detection is a brand new feature for the iPhone 14 (Plus), iPhone 14 Pro (Max), Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE 2022 and Apple Watch Ultra. This allows your iPhone or Apple Watch to automatically call the local emergency number after a car accident and the smartphone or smartwatch also immediately provides your location.

There is no doubt that the accident detection function can save lives, but reports of false emergency reports also regularly appear. For example, crash detection was activated during roller coaster rides, including calling local emergency services. The same problem already occurred with skiing and snowboarding: here, too, crash detection goes off incorrectly.

So it turns out that making violent and sudden movements by your Apple device is registered as an accident. And that while Apple has tested the crash detection on four types of serious car accidents.

Still, it’s a handy feature to have. You might end up in an accident and pass out. Of course, you should never get into a car as a drunk driver, even if your iPhone is responsible for calling the emergency services after an accident.

Don’t have an iPhone or Apple Watch with crash detection yet? Then check our price comparison for the Apple Watch Series 8 or that of the iPhone 14 Pro. For other options, it is best to consult our selection aid and comparison tool.

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