From driving accidents to distracted pedestrians and dangerous trespassing, the phenomenal success of Nintendo’s “Pokemon GO” game is fueling public safety fears.
“Death by Pokemon is coming,” warns Gerry Beyer, Governor Preston E. Smith Regents Professor of Law at Texas Tech University School of Law. “Pokemon users will have all sorts of accidents as they use the program while walking, biking, driving, etc.”
Two men apparently playing the game had to be rescued after falling off a 90-foot ocean bluff in California Wednesday, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
The “Pokemon GO” phenomenon has driven extensive media coverage, but amid all the brouhaha, a number of reports have been identified as hoaxes.
The free augmented reality game lets players ‘capture’ digital creatures at real locations using their smartphones. Digital items that can be used within the game can be found at so-called ‘PokeStops’ which are often located at real landmarks.
A slew of trespassing incidents have been linked to the game. Fox8, for example,reports that three teenagers were stopped at Perry Nuclear Power Plant in Ohio Tuesday when they trespassed on the site in pursuit of Pokemon characters.
“Pokemon GO” has already prompted a flood of warnings from police departments. “As you battle, train, and capture your Pokemon just remember you’re still in the real world!,” warned San Francisco Police Department, in a Facebook post Tuesday. Other law enforcement agencies have already reported accidents, injuries, and robberies where suspects have used the game to lure victims, it added.
7/11-Traffic accident: Illegally parked car struck from behind (*Airbags deployed in 2nd car). 1st driver had exited to catch a Pokémon.
— Texas A&M Police (@TAMUPolice) July 13, 2016