Apple Watch’s new crash detection has already saved a life

Crash detection has only been available on the Apple Watch for a few weeks, and it has already saved a man’s life after he slammed his car into a pole.

Indianapolis resident Nolan Abell is one of the first people we’ve heard from who has been helped by crash detection on the Apple Watch.

Abell was driving in the middle of the night when he lost control and crashed into a pole.

He describes feeling the haptic feedback on his Apple Watch after the crash. The watch asked if he was there, and when there was no response, it automatically called emergency services to come and help.

“If it weren’t for this watch, who knows how long it would’ve been for help to get to me. Someone would’ve found me eventually, but this had EMS to me within five minutes,” recalls Abell to ABC News.

Crash detection is a new feature on Apple devices. And it’s not just limited to the Apple Watch Series 8. It’s also available on iPhone 14 models, as well as the second-generation Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Ultra.

Crash detection initially suffered from some false alerts. Users have reported that their Apple Watch triggered crash detection on amusement park rides, like rollercoasters.

But this shows how useful crash detection can be and its potential to save lives. Just be careful if you take your Apple Watch or iPhone 14 on a rollercoaster.

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