Study shows thousands are playing Pokémon GO while driving

[El Héroe Oscuro]

San Diego research team uses social media to show how drivers are playing Pokémon GO while driving.

Click here to read the full article.

 

[Nick]

I feel like this was a waste of time on the research team's part. Anyone could tell you this.

 

[Pinkie-Dawn]

Watch as California passes a law on banning people playing Pokémon GO while driving. After their banning on orca breeding, I wouldn't be surprise at all. -_-

 

[El Héroe Oscuro]

I feel like this was a waste of time on the research team's part. Anyone could tell you this.

So are studies that say people smoke and people like to drink alcohol, but data is still data in the end and could prove fruitful in the future in one way or another.

 

[Nick]

So are studies that say people smoke and people like to drink alcohol, but data is still data in the end and could prove fruitful in the future in one way or another.

Not disagreeing.

 

[Guest123_x1]

You know society as a whole has gotten nuts when people are now playing smartphone games while driving-even when warned not to! It's bad enough many like to text while behind the wheel. This is one of those things that I was thinking would happen anyway with such a major hit game.

 

[tokyodrift]

This really doesn't surprise me in the least.

 

[Keiran]

Roads have felt increasingly more dangerous since this app came out. They shouldn't let you select "I'm a passenger."

Just about every time I see someone driving poorly they are on their phone. It's an issue that I feel needs to be resolved asap.

 

[VisualJae]

The "moving too fast" alert is by far the most useless message the game can give you. If people consciously choose to play while driving, they're going to do it anyway.

Can't just put this on Pokémon GO. People have been using their phones while driving and getting into all sorts of trouble already. You can go beyond phones, too. I've seen people shaving and clipping their nails while driving before. GO is just another item on the long list of things you really shouldn't be doing while driving.

 

[Z25]

Those first and last tweets are most like satirical. The middle one could be true though. I'd also say that most are probably not serious, but some definitely are.

It definitely happens, but with many people finding the warning silly or funny, they like to post memes about it for likes or attention as stated. Thus it's hard to accurately depict the truth.

I'd say maybe 10% to 15% are driving while playing Go.

Which is still pretty bad, and I hope there's a way to stop it soon.

 

[Aslan]

Unfortunately, this isn't surprising news. Some people will continue to break a rule, regardless of how much Niantic tries to enforce that it is unsafe to do so. It's always sad to hear of driving accidents that have happened because of Pokemon GO as they could have easily been prevented, had the driver used their common sense. I just hope that more people will realise that not endangering themselves or others on the road is much more important than trying to catch whatever rare Pokemon is outside of their car window. There is a time and place to play Pokemon GO but driving is not one of them.

 

[theunreal]

I'm realy not surprised! It was obvious and it's like always people will be texting and talking in their phone while driving.

 

[starseed galaxy auticorn]

Neither me or my mom are surprised by this. It's ridiculous how much chaos this game has caused for many people. No one cares about warnings and doesn't bother to understand the issue. It goes to show you just how stupid some people really are these days. -_____-;

 

[jstaylor62]

So how are you supposed to be able to hit 40+ Poke Stops in 15 min without driving?

 

[tranceking26]

It's not just GO, people are on their phones while driving anyway, if this game didn't exist this dangerous problem would still exist.

 

[El Héroe Oscuro]

It's not just GO, people are on their phones while driving anyway, if this game didn't exist this dangerous problem would still exist.

Still, you'd have to admit that Pokemon GO does negatively reinforce the dangerous problem at hand, and I could argue that more individuals are driving with their phone out because of Pokemon GO.

 

[tranceking26]

Still, you'd have to admit that Pokemon GO does negatively reinforce the dangerous problem at hand, and I could argue that more individuals are driving with their phone out because of Pokemon GO.

Sure, I wasn't trying to deny that. I just had an article I saw today in my mind when I wrote that. :)

 

[Neltharion83]

Its not really a new problem, texting while driving is older and just as dangerous and also has to do with touchscreens taking too much attention.

At least, unlike some extremely important text, a wild dragonite spawn will encourage you to stop your car because you do not want it to run away after the first try.

In the early days, drunk driving was normal, not even illegal, and there were no seatbelts and no airbags. Now the cars are more secure and laws strongly encourage people to drive sober, and new laws intended to target texting while driving also hit pokemon go while driving, because you get fined for holding a smartphone while driving, no matter what exactly you do with it.

I think its mostly an enforcement issue. In Germany there are plenty of radar traps to catch people speeding, every now and then they change the setting so that they take pictures of every car, just to fine the people not wearing their seatbelt or holding a phone while driving. Penalties are low, but cumulatively get higher if you get caught repeatedly, and with good enforcement, if you do it often, they will get you often.

So i think unless you live in a failed state with an incompetent government, badly done laws, and bad enforcement, it will sort itself out.

 

[Phoenixstarz]

I think its mostly an enforcement issue. In Germany there are plenty of radar traps to catch people speeding, every now and then they change the setting so that they take pictures of every car, just to fine the people not wearing their seatbelt or holding a phone while driving. Penalties are low, but cumulatively get higher if you get caught repeatedly, and with good enforcement, if you do it often, they will get you often.

i like that idea, over here in UK it is illegal to drove whilst on your phone but there is very little enforcement of it, i see many people on the phone making a call while driving but unless they get spotted by the police which is unlikely then they are never going to get caught

 

[Neltharion83]

i like that idea, over here in UK it is illegal to drove whilst on your phone but there is very little enforcement of it, i see many people on the phone making a call while driving but unless they get spotted by the police which is unlikely then they are never going to get caught

Thanks =) Automated driving is another thing, with many new models from several brands you can let go of the steering wheel and relax your feet for a moment. Let the software drive the car for a bit. This will increase, and except for the one guy killed by running into a white truck with a white sky behind it, it is much safer. Self-driving cars are being silently introduced, with sensors on the steering wheel to make sure that you still occasionally hold it. Many brands have cars now that can basically drive on their own. A friend of mine developed an app (with the help of employees) that allows you to leave your car at the entrance of a multi-storey car park, the car will find its own parking spot within the structure and park there, and when you need your car you notify it to pick you up at the entrance of the car park, using your smartphone. Empty cars driving around on their own in car parks, finding their own spots, people dropping off cars and picking them up at the entrance, nothing more nothing less.

Those cars are expensive, and also, with no speed limit in many parts of the Autobahn, people will continue to buy cars that they control themselves and that go fast. The technology is growing fast. In a few years you might install an app on your car and it drives you around nicely optimized for pokemon go.