Bangkok Post – iPhone crash detection feature explained
Bangkok Post – iPhone crash detection feature explained
https://www.bangkokpost.com/life/tech/3259674/iphone-crash-detection-feature-explained
Publish Date: 2026-05-23 00:46:00
Source Domain: www.bangkokpost.com
iPhone users can activate Apple’s lifesaving Crash Detection feature to automatically detect a severe car accident and call for assistance without needing an accompanying Apple Watch.
The feature attracted widespread public attention recently after a British woman said it saved her life.
Natalia Sidorska, 32, lost control of her car while driving along a winding road in Denbighshire in northeastern Wales in June 2025. Her car plunged more than 100 metres down a mountainside. It burst into flames just moments after she escaped.
Speaking to the BBC recently after a lengthy recovery from her injuries, Ms Sidorska said she later discovered her iPhone had automatically activated the crash detection alert.
The feature is available on the iPhone 14 series and newer models running iOS 16 or later operating systems.
According to the tech publication Mashable, the system detects severe motor vehicle collisions — including front-impact, side-impact, rear-end collisions, and rollovers — by utilising a sophisticated combination of built-in hardware sensors:
- A high-g accelerometer and advanced gyroscope that measure extreme directional movements and sudden changes in velocity.
- The device’s microphone, which listens for the distinctively loud, concussive sounds associated with a car crash.
- A barometer that detects the precise changes in cabin air pressure caused by the deployment of airbags.
When a severe crash is detected, the iPhone will display a prominent visual alert and sound an alarm for 10 seconds. Users can dismiss the alert if they are unharmed or swipe the screen to immediately contact emergency services. In Thailand, the device is programmed to call the 191 emergency hotline.
If the user remains unresponsive after the initial alert, the device begins a 30-second countdown before automatically dialling emergency services.
If the user has configured emergency…
