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The Dangers of Playing Pokemon Go While Driving

On Behalf of | Oct 6, 2016 | Car Accidents

Pokemon GO players will do almost anything to catch a rare Pokemon, including getting in a car and driving in search of that Pikachu. While there’s nothing wrong with playing as a passenger in a car, playing while driving is dangerous. If you want to avoid a crash and possible personal injury lawsuit, you need to put the game down while you are behind the wheel.

More dangerous than texting

While texting while driving is already a cause of fatalities, Pokemon GO is even more dangerous. The augmented reality game encourages players to interact with their environment in a way that text messages do not. Drivers risk causing personal harm or damaging their car, other cars, or personal property if they hit something because they aren’t paying attention to the road.

Teens playing the game while driving

Teen drivers are already more likely to succumb to distractions behind the wheel. They are also really excited about the game. Combine these two factors, and the risk is big that teen drivers will exercise poor judgment while driving. It takes driving experience and alertness to stay safe from the risks of the road, and teen drivers playing Pokemon GO lack both of these.

Could game developers make game safer?

While Pokemon GO makes players confirm that they’re passengers and not drivers, social media updates prove that many are lying. Some are pressuring Niantic, the game’s developer, to add additional safeguards to prevent distracted driving. While Niantic may update the game to ban playing over a certain speed, the developer is not obligated to do anything to make Pokemon GO safer to play. The onus relies on law enforcement and public health officials to educate people, and on individuals to recognize the hidden dangers of driving while playing Pokemon GO and make good choices.

Get legal assistance

If you or a loved one was in an auto or pedestrian accident, and you suspect the driver was distracted by their phone, you could have a valid legal claim. A personal injury attorney can help determine the best way to proceed. 

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