Google launched a special feature called 'Car Crash Detection' on its Pixel phones in 2014. Initially, this feature was only available in the United States, but now it has been expanded to more countries including India.
The Pixel car crash detection feature is now available in five more countries: India, Austria, Belgium, Portugal, and Switzerland. With these new additions, the feature has expanded its reach to a total of 20 countries around the world.
The main purpose of this feature is to help in case of a car accident. If the feature detects a car accident, it automatically contacts emergency services and shares the user’s location.
Additionally, if someone is at the accident site, they can pick up the user's phone and view emergency information on the lock screen.
If you are wondering how to use Pixel car crash detection, the process is straightforward. Start by opening the Personal Safety app on your phone. Next, click on Features, then scroll down to find "Car crash detection." Click on Set up, and then select "Allow while app is in use" to share your location.
You will also need to allow access to your microphone and physical activity. It's important to save your emergency info in the Personal Safety app. In India, emergency numbers are already available with every telecom operator.
The Pixel car crash detection feature is available on Pixel 4a and later models, including the new Pixel Fold.
The feature uses the phone’s location, motion sensors, and sounds to detect accidents. To set up this feature, you need to allow access to your location, physical activity, and microphone.
While the Google car crash detection feature is very helpful, it's not perfect. It might not detect all crashes. Sometimes, it might mistake high-impact activities for a crash and wrongly alert emergency services.
Also, if there's poor cellular connectivity or you're on a call, the feature might not be able to contact emergency services. Despite these limitations, it's a useful feature that could be life-saving in certain situations.
The Pixel car crash detection feature is an excellent example of how technology can be used to enhance personal safety.
By expanding to more countries, Google is enabling more people to benefit from this potentially life-saving feature.
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