Police are warning festival attendees to leave smart watches at home for unexpected reason

Festival season is on the horizon, which means that we're blowing the dust off our tents and hopefully leaving our wellies behind.

But, there's more than just packing lists to think about if you're heading to a field this summer, as a warning from police is re-circulating regarding smart patches.

Last year, forces urged smart watch users heading to festivals this summer to check their devices, after an uptick in the number of accidental emergency calls.

Particularly at festivals where rock and metal music take centre stage and there are mosh pits aplenty, authorities are concerned that there's going to be a rise in the number of dud calls, and put out a plea on social media.

Getty/Pexels

That's because Apple Watches have a safety feature that can detect when a user is in a 'car crash' and automatically alerts the police - however, it's also apparently been going off while music lovers are getting thrown around in a mosh pit.

"In previous years, due to wearable tech issues, we saw a rise of nearly 700 extra 999 calls in a weekend", Leicestershire Police wrote on Facebook ahead of last year's Download Festival, which had Green Day, Sleep Token, and Korn headlining.

Leicestershire Police

"The tech assumed people in mosh pits had been in a collision, causing 999 contacts and abandoned 999 calls.

"All those calls had to be assessed, with three outbound call attempts completed to ensure there is no threat, risk, or harm."

They went on to advise those who do accidentally dial emergency services to stay on the line and inform them they are safe.

Police have also advised that if you do want to bring your watch to a festival, to turn it to airplane mode when you know things are about to get a bit rowdy.

"Interesting new phenomenon with introduction of technology. Absolutely worth turning collision detection off when entering the mosh pit. Avoid false alarms and allow police to focus on crime", one person wrote, while others admitted that it had happened to them previously.

The more you know.

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