How Does the Apple Watch Help After an Accident?
A crash detection-enabled Apple Watch can tell when you are involved in a major California traffic collision. It alerts emergency officials and even family members after a crash. It also displays valuable medical information.
You could be sent into a rollover accident on a California freeway or boulevard, and you may be unable to find or reach your phone to call for help. If you have an iPhone and/or an Apple Watch, there’s a better chance you’ll be able to send out a distress signal. It works even if you are unconscious.
It’s a life-saving feature if you or your family are ever in an accident. But you’ll need to understand how it works and how to set your apple watch to better protect you in case of a crash.
Using Your Apple Watch After a California Accident
After getting rear-ended on a California street, you could suffer a serious injury and be unable to hold your phone to dial 911. Your watch is designed to detect devastating crashes and reach out to the authorities and even your family if you are incapacitated.
It works by monitoring the gyroscope, accelerometer, GPS, and microphone on your linked phone or watch. Your Apple watch detects extreme forces unleashed in a serious crash and triggers crash detection features. It’s designed to pick up on front-impact, side-impact, rear-end collisions, rollovers, and other devastating types of accidents.
Once your Apple watch detects a crash, it performs these important steps:
- Your iPhone or Apple Watch sounds an alarm and displays and reads an alert aloud.
- Your Apple Watch chimes and bumps your wrist with haptic feedback to gain your attention.
- An alert message will appear on your Apple Watch screen and on your iPhone. You’ll be able to swipe an emergency call slider if you are able. You also are given the choice to cancel the emergency call.
- If you don’t respond within 20 seconds, the watch or phone will call authorities and give them a recorded message about your crash and where you are located. The call is made with a cellular signal or by wi-fi.
- If you’ve added emergency contacts, your phone or watch will then alert the people on your list.
- If you’ve added important medical information to your account, your Apple Watch will display an emergency slider for police officers and paramedics to swipe and receive medical information.
The features work better when paired with an iPhone because your cellphone is able to display more information and has more helpful features.
What Apple Watches Have Car Crash Detection?
Crash Detection comes standard with the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE (second generation), and Apple Watch Ultra.
An iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models with the latest updates also support crash detection and will pair with your phone to get you help.
How Do I Set Up California Crash Detection on an Apple Watch?
Your eligible Apple watch comes with car crash detection already enabled. You won’t have to do anything to activate it.
Your eligible iPhone also arrives already enabled to make a life-saving call after a crash. But there is some set-up you’ll need to do to activate some vital features.
How Do I Set Up Emergency Contact and Medical ID with My Apple Watch?
Your Apple Watch isn’t just helpful to alert emergency responders. It can also alert family and friends to your accident and tell them where you are. It also displays medical information that emergency responders can unlock on the scene as long as you’ve entered it into your watch or iPhone.
Apple Support goes over the steps to make sure this vital information is available after a California accident:
- To alert your emergency contacts and share your Medical ID with emergency responders, set up your Medical ID and your emergency contacts in the Health app.
- To share your location with your emergency contacts, turn on Location Services for Emergency SOS: On your iPhone, tap Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > System Services, and make sure Emergency Calls & SOS is turned on.
Using iPhone Emergency SOS via Satellite
There’s one more safety feature that your Apple Watch can access when you are out of range of cell service or wi-fi. Your iPhone won’t give up on you. Your iPhone 14 or 14 pro model will attempt to contact help using a satellite connection.
The iPhone 14 utilizes a satellite Emergency SOS feature. Contact with authorities may take longer to establish, but it’s a lifesaver when you’re out in the middle of nowhere.
A straight shot to a clear sky will help link your phone and watch to a satellite. If there are thick trees or other tall obstructions over your location, the signal may not make it through.
Depending on Your Apple Watch After a California Car Accident
While looking at a text while behind the wheel might send you into a dangerous collision, it’s nice to know your iPhone can also help save your life after a crash.
Even if you are an extremely safe driver, a careless California motorist is always capable of sending you into a scary accident. Your iPhone and Apple Watch are empowered to team up and help get you the help you need. All that’s required of you is to take the time to fill in the important emergency information it needs. This easy step will help your Apple Watch contact the right people and provide critical medical information to paramedics.
