Pokémon GO & driving
Tomoyuki SAWANO, Akihiko Ozaki, Yukio Shimada, Claire Leppold, Masaharu Tsubokura, M. Tsukada, M. Kami, H. Ohira · QJM · 2017
Leaning points for clinicians Pokémon GO can be a substantial distraction for drivers and pedestrians. Calm and balanced discussions for prioritizing pedestrian safety are imperative to manage the increasing use of Pokémon GO while driving. Pokémon GO is an augmented reality game, where avatar synchronizes its movement with players within the game, and then players can collect Pokémons spotted in real-world locations. However, it has been suggested that Pokémon GO is a substantial distraction for drivers and pedestrians,1 and that the game creators and legislators should develop new strategies to minimalize the potential dangers of the game in their article.2 Yet, we are concerned that rigorous laws to punish drivers’ use of Pokémon GO in traffic accidents may not improve pedestrian safety as originally intended. Here, we present a hit-and-run case, which occurred while a driver was playing Pokémon GO. A 33-year-old Japanese man was run over and dragged on the road for ∼50 m. Despite an immediate medical attention, he died of multiple trauma and hemorrhagic shock after 2 h. The driver fled the accident site, but was caught and arrested 2 days later. Detailed investigation revealed that he was playing Pokémon GO when he caused the accident. This case suggests that use of Pokémon GO while driving can lead to hit-and-run accidents. In Pokémon GO, Pokémon are more likely to appear when the application senses player movement, and play records are all stored in a central server.3 Therefore, police can easily find out whether drivers were playing Pokémon GO at the time of an accident. Additionally, if the details of accidents are covered in mass media, Pokémon GO-related distraction may become widely regarded as a trigger of traffic accidents, and could induce significant public concern toward the application. However, implementation of strict punishment may result in an increase of hit-and-go cases related to Pokémon GO, as seen in our case, potentially contributing to preventable deaths. For example, it has been suggested that rigorous penalties against drunk drivers implemented in 2007 have increased latent cases caused by drunk drivers in Japan.4 Similarly, implementation of the National Prohibition Act in the United States in 1920 resulted in an increase of speakeasy clubs and illegal alcohol trafficking.5 Therefore, imposing strict penalties to individuals who cause accidents while distracted by Pokémon GO may lead to phenomenon similar to latent drunk driving or non-authorized alcohol sales under the Prohibition. Medical assistance to those who are injured may become even more delayed in cases such as hit-and-runs, possibly increasing preventable deaths from traffic accidents. Urgent responses to the increasing use of Pokémon GO among drivers are imperative, however, it remains to be seen whether implementation of strict punishment can mitigate dangers of the application, and improve pedestrian safety. Calm and balanced discussions, while prioritizing pedestrian safety, are warranted. We would like to thank Yoshitaka Wada for their constructive opinions on this literature. The Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital Institutional Ethics Committee waived the necessity for review of case reports. Written informed consent was obtained from the patient’s family for publication of this case report and any accompanying images. A copy of the written consent is available for review by the Editor-in-Chief of this journal. Conflict of interest: None declared.