In Tokushima Prefecture (south of Japan), Police forces have confirmed that a road accident that killed a woman was Japan’s first Pokemon-Go related fatality. Another woman was hit during the incident and was badly injured. The two victims are 60 and 72-year-old and the suspect is a 39-year-old man who was playing the game while driving.
Japan Times which was the first to publish the story, pointed out that the Japanese government feared that something like this could happen, and had issued a warning over Twitter and LINE (a popular chat app) warning about the potential danger of being distracted while playing the game. In Canada, local authorities have shown a police video of a driver playing the game. Taiwan has also seen a spike in smartphone use traffic violations.
The game itself contains a warning to remind players not to use it when their full attention is required elsewhere, but not everyone takes common-sense actions, including not trespassing private properties.
While the popularity of the Pokemon Go game has started to decline, its massive usage has caught authorities worldwide off guard. In Thailand, the Police has set up a dedicated Pokemon Go squad, while in the Philippines, students have been warned of arrest if they venture out to play during weather emergencies (Typhoons).
The Pokemon Go game has an outdoor component, where players have to go to physical locations to virtually see and catch virtual monsters. Because of this, there is an enormous advertising potential for businesses. For example, the sales for this ice cream shop have been revived (temporarily?) and some shopping malls have created dedicated areas for Pokemon Go.
Filed in . Read more about Japan, Pokemon, Pokémon GO and Social Hit.