Fans at a large rock festival accidentally trigger more than 700 emergency smartwatch calls
In the past, my youthful exuberance led me into the heart of moshpits at rock concerts, where I danced with abandon. Clad in my favorite black Iron Maiden T-shirt, I navigated moshes at various venues, from small hardcore garage bands in metal pubs to massive festival performances like Metallica. Despite their intimidating appearances, moshpits are typically friendly spaces with an unwritten code of conduct, where participants help each other up if someone falls and even hold lost items above the crowd for their owners to retrieve.
However, the advanced technology in smartwatches doesn’t always grasp the lighthearted nature of these interactions. While modern smartwatches like the Apple Watch and Android devices offer features like fall detection and collision alerts for safety, these capabilities can be triggered accidentally. At the Download Festival, a popular event for metal fans in the UK, over 700 unintentional emergency calls were made due to moshing activities. This influx of unnecessary calls during the three-day festival not only created complications for emergency services but also resulted in wasted time as each call had to be screened to ensure there was no actual emergency.
Ahead of the festival, the Leicestershire Police advised attendees to either remove their smartwatches or disable the collision detection feature to prevent further accidental calls. The police force noted on social media that the technology misinterpreted the energetic movements in moshpits as collisions, triggering the emergency call function and diverting attention from legitimate emergencies. This issue is reminiscent of past incidents at theme parks where smartwatches inadvertently placed emergency calls due to similar misinterpretations.
Despite these challenges, smartwatches have also been credited with saving lives through their emergency features. While accidental callouts may be a drawback, the potential for life-saving interventions outweighs these concerns. To prevent unnecessary emergency calls at events like music festivals, it is advisable for attendees to deactivate features like Crash Detection on their devices. This precaution not only ensures the smooth running of emergency services but also reduces the risk of false alarms and disturbances caused by unintentional triggers.
For those gearing up for festival season or any other lively event, it is essential to take proactive measures to avoid unintentional emergency calls. By adjusting settings on devices such as Wear OS smartwatches or Apple Watches, users can disable collision detection features to prevent false alarms. While technology continues to advance in promoting safety and well-being, users must remain vigilant and considerate of how these features may be activated inadvertently in certain environments. By taking simple precautions, individuals can enjoy their favorite events without unnecessary disruptions to emergency services or fellow attendees.