As the Pokémon Go phenomenon explodes in popularity, drivers in Seattle, Washington State and around the country are being reminded to use common sense while playing the new mobile game.
Tweets from various transportation and police departments all over the U.S. have been urging players not to drive distracted as they seek out the nearest PokéStops and other game features.
The hashtag #dontcatchanddrive and images of popular game characters are being widely used on Twitter to catch the attention of Pokémon fans who might otherwise be face down in their phones. Players were being encouraged to use public transportation and to be careful crossing streets.
https://twitter.com/wsdot/status/751439988970053632
https://twitter.com/seattledot/status/751508814948503552
https://twitter.com/OSHP/status/752590577259143168
https://twitter.com/TruckeePolice/status/752589693175287808
https://twitter.com/PokemonGoNews/status/752534144920334336
https://twitter.com/UFPublicSafety/status/752534356267335684
https://twitter.com/GoHART/status/752518169965826048
Because Pokémon Go requires users to get off the couch and move around town to acquire items, people are racing from point to point in an attempt to excel at the game against other “trainers.” Driving obviously speeds that process.
But as show character Officer Jenny warns in a tweet from the Regina, Saskatchewan, police department, catching responsibly is important.
https://twitter.com/reginapolice/status/752541865577111552
And because the craze is permeating just about all levels of conversation, the Washington State Department of Transportation used Pokémon characters to drive home an additional point about carpool lane restrictions.
https://twitter.com/GoodToGoWSDOT/status/752590839692472320