UP law enforcement encourage drivers to use crash detection

IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (WLUC) - Law enforcement agencies are asking people to use their phone's crash detection function.

Last month, it saved a young man's life.

In Fence, Wisconsin, police and EMS responded to a rollover crash thanks to a message from the driver's iPhone.

Florence County Sheriff Teresa Chrisman says she hopes more people take advantage of the tech.

"This technology actually exists and maybe some people didn't realize that technology was on their iPhone," Chrisman said. "But I really truly do believe that the crash detection feature on this young man's iPhone helped save his life."

Apple's crash detection feature notifies its user when their iPhone feels a sudden force.

If the user is unable to interact with the phone, crash detection automatically calls 911 with the phone's last used coordinates.

Crash detection was a factor in two major crashes in Iron Mountain last year.

Dickinson County Sheriff Aaron Rochon says it makes responding easier.

"When I started this career, we were just sent to a general area and we were kind of looking for a needle in a haystack sometimes," Rochon said.

According to Sheriff Rochon, crash detection alerts sent to the Dickinson County Dispatch are accurate over half the time.

He says people shouldn't be worried if their phone sends a false alarm.

"Don't be embarrassed, answer the call, let them know you just dropped your phone," Rochon said. "And then we can appropriately let law enforcement or first responders know."

Crash detection comes with iPhones 14 and higher, but other apps and services can do the same functions on Android or older iPhones.

Life 360 is available on both Android and iPhone.

Some Android phones like the Google Pixel also have crash detection features.