It was only a matter of time.
“Pokemon Go” is causing car crashes as the the augmented reality phenomenon – one of the most popular smartphone games of all time – finds its way into the hands of distracted drivers.
The game encourages people to walk around to collect 151 Pokemon and is based off the card game and hand-held Nintendo games of the 90s.
However, much like texting and driving, “Pokemon Go” and driving is becoming a problem as gamers try to “catch ‘em all.”
The craze has even prompted a slew of hoax stories, including one about a massive pile-up started by a distracted driver looking for Pikachu.
Here are three times the game has actually contributed to real world accidents:
- In New York, a man was driving while playing the game when he got distracted, drove off the road, and slammed into a tree. He was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
- A 15-year-old Pennsylvania girl was hit by a car as she was walked onto a busy highway while paying attention to her phone instead of oncoming traffic. The girl suffered an injured collarbone and foot as well some bruising.
- Two Canadian police officers were injured when two people backed into their cruiser. The two people reportedly got out of the car and immediately said, “I’m sorry, I was playing ‘Pokemon Go.’”
While it wasn’t an accident, cars were stopped earlier last week as a rare Pokemon called “Vaporeon” was released near central park, and people rushed to the area to try and catch it. Videos showed one person leaving their car parked on the road.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS?? I WILL TELL YOU MINE:
IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME (LIKELY, A VERY SHORT TIME) THAT SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE VERY SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED.
“POKEMON GO” IS PRIMARILY TARGETING KIDS WITH THIS APP; KIDS HAVE A FAR LESS APPRECIATION OF THE CONCEPT OF SAFETY.
THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT THAT “POKEMON GO” IS GOING TO GET SUED.
KNOWING THAT THEY HAVE DESIGNED AND ARE MARKETING A GAME, PRIMARILY FOR THE USE BY LIDS, THAT WILL RESULT IN INJURIES DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE GAME AND THE DISTRACTIONS THAT RESULT, IS IRRESPONSIBLE. AND, THEY ARE MAKING BILLIONS OFF THIS.
THERE WILL BE LIABILITY, AND THERE SHOULD BE.
Read More: Pokemon Go: Harmful to your health?