Driver Killed a Pedestrian in Japan While Playing Pokemon Go (fortune.com)

An anonymous reader writes: One woman was killed and another injured. In what police are calling Japan's first death linked to Pokemon Go, a driver playing the smartphone game hit two pedestrians on Tuesday night, officials said. The collision broke the neck of one woman, killing her, and left another woman with a broken hip, the Wall Street Journal reports. Police in Tokushima, on the western Japanese island of Shikoku, told the Wall Street Journal the women were crossing the street when the car struck them. The man driving the car did not see them because was playing Pokemon Go.

Comments

Don't blame Pokemon GO

[Anonymous Coward]

Blame the subclass of humanity that finds it acceptable to operate their devices while driving.

Re:Don't blame Pokemon GO

[Solandri]

TFA does not make clear whether the women were crossing legally or jaywalking.

Our laws promoting safety have a lot of redundancy built into them. This redundancy allows multiple failures before producing a catastrophic result. Limiting street crossings to crosswalks concentrates pedestrians in locations where additional safety features can be installed (red lights, painted stripes on the road). It also frees up drivers to keep their eyes on the road when away from intersections, instead of having to constantly watch the sides of the road for pedestrians who might suddenly jump into their path. Accidents more frequently happen because of infractions by each party involved which strip away each layer of redundant safety.

While it's probable the driver bears most of the blame, I wouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions. I have to think even an irresponsible Pokemon player would, as a matter of self-preservation, at least take his eyes off the game long enough to slow when approaching intersections. This may well be a case of two women trying to save some time by crossing in the middle of the street (yes it happens even in Japan), and being struck by a driver who assumed no pedestrian would do such a thing so decided to play the game between intersections. He might even have been unable to avoid hitting the women even if he had been watching the road. Jumping to conclusions makes you no better than the assholes who beat up the driver in the above video.

What has Pokemon Go really go to do with this?

[OzPeter]

The headline should really be "Unsafe driver kills pedestrian". If it wasn't Pokemon Go, it would have been texting or some other action that caused this muppet to kill someone.

Re:empty lives?

[thewolfkin]

Are people's lives so bloody empty that they need to play with a phone all the time? What the hell is wrong with them?

It's not about empty lives, it's about addictive games. Games even ones as insipidly simple as PoGo can tap into your Skinner box tendancies. It's less about the rest of your life being fulfilling than about an individual having self control.

WTF?

[Cajun Hell]

Or they could be smart and lock out users when they're moving so fast they're obviously not on foot.

If I proposed an idea that's wrong more than half the time, the last thing I'd expect anyone to call me, is "smart." That simply isn't the right word for this idea.

Fast movement doesn't imply driving. I'll grant that if you can determine the vehicle is a bicycle or motorcycle, chances are over 50% that the driver is playing. (Motorcycle passengers are unlikely to have free hands.) But if it's basically any other type of vehicle (or if no vehicle is involved at all), you're throwing babies out more often than you're throwing out bathwater! Why would you use a word like "smart" for this?!?

Re:They apparently need to add another pop up

[cayenne8]

Or they could be smart and lock out users when they're moving so fast they're obviously not on foot.

Well, it does throw up messages if you're moving too fast, but if you cut it off completely, they passengers couldn't play, which wouldn't be nice, especially if you have a car load of kids playing. It keeps them busy, you know.

But really there are ALREADY laws on the books against DISTRACTED DRIVING.....how is this any different?

Those laws are quite broad enough..and if you get caught doing so, then they should rip your license up in front of you, and point you towards the nearest tricycle shop, or bus pass station.

But for heaven's sakes, we don't need more laws, etc.

And no, Nintento should not be liable for individual stupidity.

Re:You've captured Manslaughter!

[Areyoukiddingme]

Do you think the injured/dead parties won't?!

They won't. It's Japan. They're not overly litigious, because they don't suffer from an infestation of libertarians and their government actually works. This guy WILL do time, and it won't be short either. Japan takes an extremely dim view of traffic fatalities and they have a functioning government that will enforce the traffic laws.