Vehicle Overturned on Christmas Eve... Apple Watch Makes Emergency Call

Car Overturns After Slipping on Icy Road While Drunk Driving
Automatic Report Triggered After 10 Seconds of No Response Following Impact Detection

A car driving on a Jeju road in a drunken state on Christmas Eve slipped on the snowy road and overturned. The Apple Watch detected the impact and, when the owner did not respond, made an emergency rescue request.

On the 25th, the Seogwipo Police Station in Jeju announced that they have booked and are investigating a man in his 20s, Mr. A, on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act (drunk driving).

Mr. A is suspected of driving on a road in Daejeong-eup, Seogwipo City, on the 24th at around 8:44 p.m. with a blood alcohol concentration above the license cancellation standard (0.08%).

The vehicle driven by Mr. A slipped on the snowy road and overturned, resulting in serious injuries to Mr. A and two passengers, who were transported to the hospital by the 119 emergency medical team.

It was confirmed that the Apple Watch detected the impact and made an emergency rescue request to 119. The Apple Watch has a crash detection feature that, upon sensing an impact such as a car accident and detecting no response from the owner for 10 seconds, automatically sends an emergency rescue request to 119.

The police are investigating the detailed circumstances of the incident.

A similar accident occurred in Jeju on May 13. At 1:22 a.m. that day, 119 received an emergency rescue request and dispatched to the accident site near the parking lot of Ihoteu Beach in Jeju City, where they found the accident vehicle.

A man in his 20s, Mr. A, was standing in front of the car, and the fire department found his incoherent speech suspicious and requested joint response from the police.

Police breathalyzer tests showed that Mr. A’s blood alcohol concentration was at the license cancellation level.

Mr. A denied drunk driving, saying, "I did not drive," but the police booked him on charges of drunk driving (violation of the Road Traffic Act) based on the fact that the Apple Watch detected the impact and made an emergency rescue request to 119, and that no one else was around the accident vehicle besides Mr. A.

Cases of drunk driving being detected through emergency rescue requests made by advanced devices such as smartwatches are increasing. The crash detection feature of smartwatches, which automatically sends emergency rescue requests upon sensing an impact, is playing a role in catching drunk drivers.

Some suggest that, in addition to the reporting function, devices should be installed in cars to prevent drivers from operating the steering wheel after drinking. Although the related technology has already been developed, there is no legal basis, making even pilot operations difficult.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.