Distracted driving is a known problem in Louisiana and across the country. While most associate being distracted in today’s world with people using their cellphones for a variety of purposes, one issue that is being considered as problematic for drivers to keep their eyes on the road is playing games. One that received significant attention was Pokemon Go. A new study has shown that this game might have been a significant factor in numerous car crashes.
In the study by Purdue University economists, the authors examined 12,000 law enforcement accident reports for a county in Indiana. They found that there were an unusual number of crashes, injuries and deaths close to locations where Pokemon Go players were required to pick up items that are integral to the game. The study says that within 148 days, there were 134 accidents because of the game in that county alone. It caused close to $500,000 in damage to vehicles. 31 people were injured and two people died.
Other factors were accounted for as they came to their conclusions. The authors say that it can be a matter of speculation to automatically equate accidents in other locations to happening with the same frequency they did in that one county. But it is possible that there were at least 145,000 accidents with 29,000 people injured and 256 deaths across the nation because of playing the game in the five months after it was released. This could lead to costs of more than $7 billion. Other studies, specifically the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, studied Pokemon Go. They discovered that there might have been at least 113,000 incidents of distracted driving in one 10-day period.
This is just an example of the types of risky behaviors that people are willing to take part in while behind the wheel and using a device. There can be crashes with the accompanying catastrophic injuries to a car accident victim. Medical expenses can be enormous and death can occur. Those who have been in a crash and believe it was due to a distracted driver who was playing a game or performing other activities with a phone or device must make certain that a crash reconstruction is done and they take the necessary steps to pursue compensation in a legal filing. An attorney experienced in car accidents can help.
Source: rollingstone.com, “Study: ‘Pokemon Go’ Led to Increase in Traffic Accidents,” Stefanie Fogel, Dec. 19, 2017
