Reports have flooded the internet about hooked players of Pokemon Go getting into accidents while playing the game. The rising number of incidents have caught the attention of authorities, thus proposals to ban the game came into their consideration. Proposals to ban playing the game while driving have been made by California Lawmakers, justifying that Pokemon Go is a proven distractor that elicit vehicular accidents.
According to the Los Angeles Times, a new bill proposal will be passed by the state Assembly to Governor Jerry Brown. The bill emphasizes that the use of any handheld device that can possibly cause distraction to the driver will be banned. This bill serves as an expansion to the current anti-texting and driving laws of the state. The new bill seeks to upgrade its existing laws, in order to promote people's safety. Efforts to implement these laws have already been pushed by lawmakers.
Niantic, the Pokemon Go developer, has made updates pertaining to the safety of players while playing Pokemon Go. According to Game Spot, the new update comes with a prompt asking the players if they are the driver or a passenger of a vehicle. Despite of these efforts, some players still lack the concentration for them to be aware of their surroundings while playing the game.
The issue that Pokemon Go poses is public safety. There were cases of fatalities in Japan that are linked to Pokemon Go. A 39-year old driver who was playing Pokemon Go hit two female pedestrians. There are already around 79 bike and car accidents that were reported since the game's release on July.
When Pokemon Go players play the game irresponsibly, it is then that accidents happen. Should incidents continue to occur due to the game, other places may also ban the game. Bills banning the playing of Pokemon Go hope that it could reduce the risk of its players.
