The newest generation of Apple tech coming out late last month brings a new feature that Apple hopes you will never need. Crash detection is now built into the newest Apple watches and iPhones and can sense if you have been in a severe car accident. If the software detects you were in a crash it will dial 911 if not disabled in 2o seconds. The new technology is revolutionary except for one unaccounted side effect, it has been dialing 911 one thrill rides.

Six emergency calls were triggered at Kings Island in September by iPhone. The phone greets the operator  with the line, “The owner of this iPhone was in a severe crash and is not responding to their phone.” A rider of the roller coaster, Mystic Timbers unknowingly set of the alert. When authorities could not get in contact with them they were sent to the scene of course they found no crash and were unable to locate the person who set off this alert. Similar situations have happened at Six Flags Great America park.

There are ways to prevent iPhone from calling the cops while on roller coasters. Switching your iPhone to airplane mode while riding disables crash detection for the time being, or you could just disable the feature all together. It is definitely better than auto dialing 911.

Crash detection has proven useful in real emergencies. There have been reported cases of iPhone catching real car crashes and quickly getting help on the scene. They helped detect a fatal car crash in Nebraska.

The idea of crash detection is innovative and will make people feel safer behind the wheel, but the kinks of this feature need to be worked out. Releasing flawed technology that can potentially waste public resources is not a small matter for big companies like Apple. This software needs to be recalled and fixed before more time and money is wasted on false alarms.