Drivers across the UK have been urged to press one important safety button before setting off in their vehicles this winter.
Alex Lee, automotive expert at Dick Lovett stressed road users should ensure that “Car Crash Detection” technology is activated, with the feature possibly a lifesaver.
The technology is installed in many smartwatches and phones and uses satellite navigation data and speed tools to quickly detect when road users may have been involved in accidents.
Immediately after a crash, the smartwatch will usually chime or ring for around 20 seconds.
Emergency services and SOS contacts will usually be contacted after 20 seconds of silence to ensure help arrives quickly.
Devices will share location information such as latitude and longitude coordinates with emergency workers to ensure they arrive in the right area.
Alex said: “While using a smartwatch at the wheel could see drivers facing hefty fines of up to £1,000 and penalty points on their licence, having one on their wrist could potentially save their lives if they get into a car accident.
“Some mobile phones and smartwatches, such as the latest Apple watches or the Pixel watches, have a feature in them known as ‘Car Crash Detection’.
“This feature automatically places a call to the emergency services and, on some devices, will also send your emergency contacts an SOS message to let them know that you’ve been involved in an accident.”
Some devices will even automatically display a road user’s Medical ID so that emergency services can access important medical information in seconds.
Crash detection tools are usually turned on by default but road users can check if it is activated by looking at the ‘Settings’ screen.
Experts have designed the tool to reduce the number of false positives so the watch will know the difference between a major car crash and a simple fall.
Alex warned that some vehicles contain their own crash-detection tools but having a smartwatch or phone feature as a backup was key.
He added: “This car crash detection feature works by using sensors and GPS to detect sudden speed changes and should be able to identify if the user has been involved in a car crash.
“While some modern vehicles will have crash detection technology built-in, there’s no harm in having both enabled, especially for motorists who commute frequently during the winter season.”
