An Emergency Feature built into most I-Phones can cause issues for both the Phone's Owner and Law Enforcement.
Sgt. Mike McClure, Public Information Officer with Troop D of the Missouri Highway Patrol, states during an interview on KRZK's Ozarks Now program that I-Phones have a built in feature that will automatically call 9-1-1 if the phone is severely vibrating as it might in a Traffic Accident. What's happening according to Sgt. McClure is many individuals are placing their phones on their boats while traveling on the Lake and the vibration is triggering a call to 9-1-1.
McClure says when that happens and officers are not able to reach the phone owner to confirm the call, they must send an officer to track down the call even if the person is unaware a call has been made. McClure said that is time consuming and pulls officers away from other potential emergency situations.
McClure says phone owners can disable the feature on their I-Phone that will prevent the automatic call without blocking the ability of individuals to call 9-1-1 if needed.
The complete interview with Sgt. Mike McClure, which includes information on other safety reminders with school back in session and the upcoming Labor Day Holiday, can be heard below:
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