Those who use Pokémon GO while driving increase their accident risk.
Distractions while driving are often the cause of accidents. Just quickly sending a message on WhatsApp or posting a status on Facebook can distract a driver for a few seconds. Nintendo has now added a warning in the AR game reminding drivers that Pokémon GO should not be used while driving. Unfortunately, many players ignore this message, which often leads to serious consequences.
Car Accidents Due to Pokémon GO
An American study from JAMA International Medicine examined the connections between Pokémon GO and driving. Twitter posts and Google news were searched for keywords such as “Pokémon”, “driving”, and “car”. Afterward, it was checked whether the found data indicated that Pokémon GO was used while driving. The study states:
Vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death among 16-24 year-olds (the target audience of the game). According to the American Automobile Association, 59% of all accidents involving young drivers involved a distraction. This occurred within 6 seconds before an accident. Through information from Twitter and news, we find that drivers are distracted by Pokémon GO and may therefore cause accidents.
According to the results of the study, 113993 accidents were reported on Twitter within 10 days. Of these tweets, 33% indicated that a driver, passenger, or pedestrian was distracted by Pokémon GO. One user wrote that their drive home usually takes 5 minutes. When they use Pokémon GO, the drive takes 20 minutes. Another user wrote that their mother stopped the car in the middle of the road to catch a Pokémon.
A user, who was a passenger with his brother, reported that he held both smartphones in his hands while his brother yelled at him to catch Pokémon for him.
A user who was driving wrote that a kid ran in front of his car because they were distracted by the game.
Pokémon GO reminds you for a reason that you should not play while driving. Safety first!
