INJURY LAW BLOG

Relevant & Important Information About Personal Injury Law So You Can Be In The Know

Trying to 'catch 'em all' putting pedestrians in harm's way

Posted by Smiley & Smiley on Jul 11, 2016 5:59:55 PM

pokemon-pokemon-go-mobile-trends-smartphone-163042We read numerous articles, opinion pieces and studies about the dangers of being distracted by our phones when we drive. In fact, every driver in New York should know that using handheld phones to talk or text is not only dangerous in this state, it's illegal.

However, drivers aren't the only people who can be so distracted by their phones that they are actually at risk of causing a serious accident. Pedestrians can also get hurt when they are paying more attention to their phones than their surroundings. And one newly popular mobile game app isn't making people any safer.

Chances are you or someone you know has recently downloaded the new Pokémon Go game. This game has become something of an overnight phenomenon and people all across New York City can be seen staring into their phone, walking around trying to capture virtual Pokémon characters.

The game utilizes GPS to direct players to geocached locations where they can find virtual animals. As noted in reports like this one, the game has been so successful that people are actually spending more time out walking around in order to play the game.

However, it's not all fun and games when it comes to this app and others like it. When users are engrossed in their phones, they run the risk of missing critical visual and audio cues around them that could alert them to danger. For instance, a person playing Pokémon Go may walk into a busy intersection without looking, or cross over driveway entrance without realizing a car is entering or exiting.

This puts not only pedestrians but also others around them at risk of being in an accident.

We urge everyone to use caution on New York streets, as they can be chaotic and congested. Unfortunately, this won't always happen. In situations where you have been injured in an accident caused by a distracted driver or pedestrian, you can and should take action to protect yourself and seek compensation for damages you may greatly need and deserve.

Topics: car accidents

Share this article...

CONTACT US
To learn about our settlements, verdicts and case results, click below:
CLICK HERE

Subscribe To Newsletter

RECENT POSTS

POPUAR TAGS

see all