A study in the USA has shown how dangerous Pokémon GO can be while driving. According to estimates, over 250 people have already died in connection with traffic accidents related to the game.
This is the study: Purdue University in the US state of Indiana conducted a scientific study on the dangers of Pokémon GO in road traffic.
They reviewed nearly 12,000 accident reports from their county and found that between March 1, 2015, and November 30, 2016, there was an increase in traffic accidents. They noted that many of these accidents occurred in locations that were particularly popular in Pokémon GO, especially those that took place after its release in the summer of 2016.
The scientific study went further and scaled these accidents up to a national level. It concluded that more than 250 fatalities in the USA are attributable to accidents related to Pokémon GO.
145,000 accidents due to Pokémon GO in the USA
The study finds: At the national level, analysts report the following damages related to Pokémon GO in road traffic:
- 145,000 car accidents
- 30,000 injuries
- 256 deaths
- Damage amounting to $2 to $7.3 billion
The study stated the following:
Based on police accident reports for Tippecanoe County, Indiana, and using the introduction of the augmented reality game Pokémon GO as a natural experiment, we document a disproportionate increase in accidents and associated vehicle damage, injuries, and fatalities near locations where users can play the game while driving.
We estimate the nationwide costs for users playing Pokémon GO while driving at $5.2 to $25.5 million in the 148 days following the game’s release. When scaling these estimates to the national level, a total amount between $2.0 and $7.3 billion arises.
What to note: There is a lot of estimation behind this. The analysis is based only on Tippecanoe County and was then directly applied to the entire USA. It is likely that there are other areas where these numbers are significantly higher or lower.
Moreover, the number of players has significantly decreased after the release. In the summer of 2016, thousands of people tried Pokémon GO but quickly lost interest. It makes sense that there was a significant increase at the beginning of Pokémon GO, but this declined as players decreased.
Nonetheless, the numbers mentioned here are remarkable, and even if they are only partially accurate, they do indicate a risk associated with Pokémon GO in road traffic.
The police often encounter bizarre situations related to Pokémon GO. For example, they were able to capture a drug dealer because he was on his phone playing Pokémon GO while driving. This led to his arrest and the discovery of drugs.
Another incident occurred in Japan. There, a man assaulted another man over a dispute regarding a gym in the game. Ultimately, the police had to intervene and arrest the attacker. Japan has already seen several bizarre incidents related to Pokémon GO.
