It might seem all the rage amongst an incredible number of people around the globe, but when it comes to driving, applications such as Pokemon Go can serve as nothing more than a distraction which must be avoided, or the consequences will inevitably be fatal.
The aim of the smartphone-based game is to use mapping technology to search for and “catch” virtual pocket monsters, from which the name Pokemon is derived. However, the first serious collision has now been officially attributed to a distracted driver playing the game.
The incident took place in Auburn in New York when a 28-year old driver had taken a vehicle on a hunt for Pokemons, however the driver lost control on account of being distracted and collided with a tree, destroying the vehicle.
Luckily, on this occasion, the driver was not seriously injured, nor were any other road users who could so easily have become a victim of the driver´s irresponsibility.
There have already been countless near misses recorded, not only involving vehicles, but also pedestrians who are concentrating so much on their phones they ignore the real world dangers surrounding them.
A near stampede, also in New York, almost resulted in a catastrophe. Some 2,000 Pokemon hunters were seen taking to the streets of Sydney in search of the same Pokemon.
There are even businesses popping up offering to walk your phone for you, searching for your Pokemons and the game has just gained its first major sponsor, McDonalds, who will encourage players to go to their restaurants in order to exercise their Pokemons, whilst no doubt eating at the same time.
There is no doubt that the game has been a phenomenal success, largely exploiting the memories of those who used to swap the trading cards in the 90´s now the mobile generation who still play the games of their childhood, but when it comes to driving and interacting with or near traffic it is potentially deadly.
