Don’t Pokemon Go and Drive, Says AAA

By Buddy Hardigree, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

Pokémon Go has become one of the most popular app based games over the past few days. Those playing the game – identified as “Pokémon trainers” – can be found staring at their phones while walking along city streets throughout the U.S.; but there is danger if those “trainers” decide to play while behind the wheel.

“Trying to catch a Pokémon while behind the wheel is a major distraction and increases your risk of causing a crash,” said Garrett Townsend, Georgia Public Affairs Director, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Put your phone down while driving. Just one quick text or glance to see the next Pokéstop could end up costing you or someone else their life.”

It is estimated at any given daylight hour there are 660,000 motorists using a cell phone while driving in the United States. Distracted driving killed 3,179 people and is responsible for 1 out of every 10 deaths on our nation’s roadways, according to a report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Distracted driving statistics in Georgia portray a grim picture: Of the 1,427 roadway fatalities in Georgia during 2015, 65% were involving failure to maintain their lane. At the end of the first half of 2016, Georgia traffic fatalities are on pace to exceed 1,400 for the 2nd year in a row.

“Playing games like ‘Pokémon Go’ while driving is a distraction just like sending or receiving a text while behind the wheel,” said Karen Morgan, Public Policy Manager, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Texting and driving is a primary offense in Georgia, penalties and fines are assessed for those that violate this law.

Drivers engaging in an activity such as texting can remain mentally distracted for up to 27 seconds. According to research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, updating social media on your mobile device is just slightly less cognitively challenging than solving a complicated math problem while driving.

In a recent AAA Consumer Pulse survey, the majority of Georgia motorists (93%) believe that texting while driving is the most dangerous thing you can do behind the wheel, followed by driving when tired (87%), grooming (72%) and talking on a hand-held cell phone (63%). Click here to view the survey results.