Carson City Sheriff’s Office issues warning about distracted driving while playing Pokémon Go

What does Pokemon Go have to do with traffic crashes and pedestrian issues? A lot if you’re one of the thousands playing this game. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this game which is played on your smart phone, it involves walking or driving around in an attempt to capture various Pokemon characters which appear on the screen of your phone as you near them.

This has led to many dangers associated with the game. Texting, using a phone and now hunting for Pokemon characters while driving is just not wise and can lead to a car crash. Your focus needs to be on your driving not the screen of your phone.

Walking while playing the game is also dangerous as your attention is again on the screen and not on your surroundings. You need to be paying attention to where you’re going. Injuries can occur if you’re not careful. Walking out into traffic because you’re too focused on the screen looking for characters can lead to being struck by an oncoming vehicle.

Are there other dangers? Yes, recently criminals have used “Lures” in the game to attract players to isolated locations where they were robbed. Not everyone who’s playing is doing so for fun so be careful.