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If you only get a ticket while playing Pokemon Go in a car, you're probably getting off lightly

Pokemon Go and cars do not mix. Just. Don't.

Playing Pokemon Go while driving is really not a good idea. Law enforcement agencies around the world are licking their lips over how easy it's going to be to fill their traffic violation ticket quotas and increase department revenue by catching you staring at your phone while driving.

The Surrey Police issued a Pokemon Go warning through Twitter with a cute PhotoShop:

In Australia, the NSW Police is having a great time handing out fines and demerit points to Pokemon Go trainers violating our laws about not using phones while driving.

Ouch - but it gets worse. A black mark on your record and a hole in your budget is one thing, but it's better to be caught than to continue this frankly stupid behaviour; according to Syracuse.com, a 28 year old man crashed his car into a tree in Auburn due to playing Pokemon Go while driving. He wasn't seriously injured but he could have been - his car is a mess. He's also in line for multiple traffic tickets, and police are going to release his name once they've concluded their investigation, which will be super embarrassing.

Police did not say what the trainer was trying to catch when he swerved off the road, information many Pokemon Go players probably consider pretty important, but did suggest players lay off Pokemon Go while driving or riding a bike. They also warned players not to trespass, to keep an eye on their surroundings, not to share their location with strangers and not to travel alone.

It's probably only a matter of time before we see our first Pokemon Go-related traffic death. Hot take: it's amazingly stupid to use a device while driving, and it puts others at risk as well as yourself. Don't do that for Pokemon Go.

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Pokemon Go

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About the Author
Brenna Hillier avatar

Brenna Hillier

Contributor

Based in Australia and having come from a lengthy career in the Aussie games media, Brenna worked as VG247's remote Deputy Editor for several years, covering news and events from the other side of the planet to the rest of the team. After leaving VG247, Brenna retired from games media and crossed over to development, working as a writer on several video games.
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