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Police Warn Download Festival Fans to Disable Emergency Alerts on Wearables

Triggered by crash detection features in mosh pits, almost 700 unintended 999 calls have prompted police to warn Download Festival attendees to switch wearable devices to airplane mode.

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korn playing and a man using a smart watch

Overview

  • Emergency call volumes have nearly doubled from around 600 on a typical weekend to about 1,300 during Download Festival sessions due to device false alarms.
  • Crash detection features on certain smart watches and smartphones automatically dial 999 after sensing a collision, which energetic mosh pit activity can falsely register.
  • Officers are advising festival-goers to enable airplane mode or disable emergency alerts on wearable technology before entering the mosh pit.
  • Attendees who receive accidental callbacks from hidden numbers are asked to answer to confirm their safety and free up resources for genuine emergencies.
  • Download Festival is hosting an estimated 75,000 to 130,000 rock and metal fans at Donington Park this weekend, with headliners including Green Day, Sleep Token and Korn.