Apple iPhones may soon be able to detect car crashes, alert emergency services

The Cupertino-based company has reportedly been working on the crash detection algorithm for years now. Apple has been collecting anonymous iPhone and Apple Watch users’ data. The company has detected over 10 million suspected vehicle crashes, with over 50,000 of those accompanied by a call to 911.

This data was used by Apple to further better its own algorithm and now it could power the iPhone crash detection feature by using the sensors and GPS data to detect a sudden stop in momentum, and combine it with other factors to make a 911 call.

Google introduced a similar feature for the Pixel 3 and 4 series via its personal safety app, and it does pretty much the same thing, by detecting car crashes and alerting emergency responders.

The Apple Watch Series 4 also uses a combination of sensor data and algorithms to detect when a user has fallen down or collapsed and will automatically alert emergency services and your loved ones if users don’t respond to a prompt in a certain amount of time.