Smartphone SOS alert saves driver's life in France after crash

A young man who ploughed his car into a tree south of Toulouse late at night may be the first in France to have been saved by a crash detector on his mobile phone.

The man’s phone sent out an automatic alarm to emergency services when he was knocked out and failed to respond to a message saying it seemed he had been in a crash.

When emergency services responded, they found the man, who was alone in the car, in a critical condition.

He was treated in intensive care and described as being “between life and death” by hospital authorities.

“Without the telephone system we would not have got to him in time,” an emergency services spokesperson told French media.

The young man was not wearing a seatbelt when his Citroën Xsara left the road at around 03:00 and ploughed across a field, before crashing into the tree in early September.

Read more: British hiker's disappearance in France highlights importance of safety tech

Crash Detection app

Crash Detection is installed by default on iPhone 14s or later (all models) with iOS 16 or later operating systems, as well as some Apple Watches.

The system is triggered by violent movement. An alarm sounds, along with the message: “It looks like you have been in a crash. iPhone will trigger Emergency SOS if you do not respond.”

People who are conscious and need help can use the SOS slide which appears on the device to talk directly to emergency services. If not, an automatic alert is sent out after a 20-second delay. 

Read more: Change to outgoing emergency numbers in France

eCall system in cars

Before sending out the alert, the phone makes a loud noise and vibrates. If the alert is triggered by mistake, it can be cancelled by tapping a cancel button.

Some mobile phones using Google’s Android operating system 12, or later versions, have similar systems.

All new cars bought from April 2018 are also fitted with crash detection alarms under the EU’s eCall system. 

This uses an obligatory electronic SIM circuit to send out alerts as long as the car is in an area covered by mobile phone signal.

The French government has also developed a system called FR-Alert, which automatically sends out messages to all mobile phones within a specified danger zone. 

Designed to supplement the emergency sirens in towns and villages, it does not require an app or prior registration.

It was trialled on a large scale in February 2023, and has since been tested regularly in simulated exercises, usually involving forest fires or industrial accidents.

 Read more: Trial of tsunami SMS alerts in southern France

Meanwhile, France’s Système d'Alerte et d'informations aux populations (SAIP) dates from the Cold War. 

It oversees the state of the country’s siren network, which can be set off remotely, and protocols for messages to be sent out on radio, TV and social media channels.

Read more: Will France’s FR-Alert warning system work with foreign phones?