Pokemon GO and Drive

The “pocket monsters” are making a comeback in a big way with Nanotech, a Silicon Valley-based app development agency, introducing the app to overwhelming applause in the summer. Its fans tout the positives such as having motivation to get out of the house and exercise as well as being able to share with their kids the joy Pokemon brought them too when they were young. However, it has given rise to a new form of distracted driving with users openly staring at their phones while driving on busy roads.

The augmented reality technology puts you in a mythical world where Pokemon can be found virtually anywhere and users want to cut the time it takes to walk around by driving instead. Distracted driving was already the leading cause of accidents in North America with 1 out of 4 card accidents caused by texting and driving for a total of 4 million accidents a year. However, Pokemon GO brings this sad reality to a new level because the game requires more concentration than just shooting a quick text.

In Quebec City, last July, not long after the app was introduced, a driver crashed into a police cruiser when the car reversed suddenly in a parking lot. The two police officers then had to go to the hospital to treat minor injuries. The driver and his passenger later admitted they were playing Pokemon GO and the driver of the car only received two $30 ticket: one for failing to signal and another for failing to properly look behind before reversing.

“It’s a new phenomenon, so be careful,” Quebec City spokesman Pierre Poirier told the CBC.

However, another accident that same month in Auburn, New York nearly killed a man when he crashed into a tree while playing the game and his engine was starting to come into the passenger compartment.

This makes the need for safe drivers to have sufficient auto insurance as part of their overall personal insurance because of the heightened risk Pokemon GO is causing on our roads. This also means you want to have an insurance brokerage behind you that is forward thinking and are able to mitigate risk in the 21st century.

Arthur J. Gallagher Canada Limited are experts in insurance and risk management, which puts them in a unique position to assess proper coverage for drivers. They have been in business for over 100 years so and regarded as an industry leader in Canada because they are able to find the best primary and extended coverage available, which means they are well-equipped to support you in the case of an accident due to collision with a distracted Pokemon GO driver.

According to the Virginia Transportation Institute, drivers engaged in using their smart phone while driving are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash or near crash event.

For the first time ever in Ontario, deaths from distracted driving doubled that of impaired driving.

“It’s a choice that they have to leave those phones alone,” Ontario Provincial Police Constable Rheal Levac told CTV News. “It takes just a slight moment to be distracted from the roadway and it can potentially kill somebody and it has.”

In 2014, there were 110,500 injuries due to vehicle collisions and 1,834 fatalities in Canada, therefore the progress being made in autonomous vehicles is highly anticipated by both law enforcement and the public.