Butt dialing accidentally causes half of wireless 911 calls

Butt dialing seems to be just another fixture of our technology-obsessed lives. While typically humorous, butt dialing has now become a serious threat to public health, according to the Federal Communications Commission.

FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly reported after visiting 911 call centers in New York and Anchorage that approximately 70 percent of calls come from wireless numbers. Of the number of wireless 911 calls made, half of the cases were called by accident, either by buttons being pressed when phones are in pockets or bags.

O'Rielly says that butt dialing can negatively affect the emergency system, crowding up the lines when potential life-threatening calls may need attending to.