AA warns to stay safe while playing Pokemon Go

Although Pokemon Go is not yet officially available in South Africa, the game has arrived in the country and people are already playing it.

The Automobile Associate (AA) in association with local and international road safety campaigners would like to call for caution while playing.

VG247, a leading UK-based gaming blog, wrote, “When you’ve got the game open, the game then populates the world around you with Pokemon. You end up looking at the world through your phone’s screen and camera, and the Pokemon are dropped on top of the real world in a semi-convincing way – this is augmented reality.”

Because of this, Pokemon Go players are glued to their screens while walking or driving, instead of focusing on their real-life surroundings. “Reports are already coming in from other countries where people have been involved in crashes as Pokemon Go players have not been focusing on the road. There are also reports of road rage incidents involving this game. While we are not calling for anyone to not play the game, we want to urge anyone who is, to play responsibly, and be alert to the roads they are travelling on, whether by car, motorbike or on foot,” the AA said.

The AA provided a few suggestions to players to help them stay safe:

• Don’t play while driving or while walking near traffic.

• Pay attention while you are playing. Distractions can cause injuries or even death, especially if you are walking in traffic.

• If possible, take someone with you while you are playing to act as a second pair of eyes to watch for possible dangers.

• Avoid playing while boarding or alighting buses, trains or taxis.

“We urge everyone to enjoy this, or any other gaming experience, but not to sacrifice their, or anyone else’s real life to catch a virtual character,” the AA concluded.