Drivers Playing Pokemon Go Can Be Issued Traffic Citations for Distracted Driving in New Jersey

The sudden popularity of the Pokemon Go game is causing distracted driving accidents on roadways in New Jersey, New York, and elsewhere in the country, according to a recent study published in the American Medical Association’s peer-reviewed JAMA Internal Medicine.

The study was conducted by researchers at San Diego State University in California, but the results are applicable to drivers all across the United States. The individuals conducting the study used data from social media posts and online news articles that indicated a significant rise in the number of auto accidents caused by reckless, negligent, or distracted drivers who were preoccupied with their Pokemon Go games. The social media posts were particularly alarming because they showed several drivers using their phones to take screenshots as they played Pokemon Go while driving. One such motorist even referred to himself as “a momentary idiot” while taking a screenshot.

Pokemon Go became usually popular almost as soon as it was released earlier this year. Pokemon Go players use their smartphones, which are equipped with GPS, to locate and capture cartoon characters in the real world. The problem is that players are often so focused on the Pokemon Go game that they lose track of their actual surroundings, which can lead to serious auto accidents and pedestrian accidents. There have been several instances of pedestrians being struck by motor vehicles while walking in traffic and playing Pokemon Go.

There are already laws in place that allow NJ patrol officers to issue traffic citations to individuals who are not focused on the road while driving. And there is also a bill being proposed in Trenton NJ that would give New Jersey police officers even greater leeway to issue tickets to motorists who appear to be distracted while operating their cars. That’s why it is absolutely imperative that anyone driving on a road or highway in the Garden State make sure to avoid using their cell phone and keep their eyes on the roadway at all times.

For more information about this case, read the following article: Pokemon Go really, really distracted drivers: study