Hatboro Issues Public Safety Warnings In Light of Pokemon Go

Hatboro, PA -- Hatboro police joined law enforcement agencies and community groups around the region in warning of the potential dangers of Pokemon Go, which has led obsessed players to drive distracted, trespass on private property, and even walk straight off cliffs.

Hatboro Police issued the following reminders for the community on what has become, in some areas, a public safety hazard:

1. First and foremost, please be aware of your surroundings. Use sidewalks and watch where you are going. We've seen many focused on their phones rather than watching where they are walking. Please pay attention - especially if crossing a street. Please do not play the game if you are in the roadway - ever.

2. The game tends to get players into groups - at locations the game refers to as "Gyms", "Pokestops" and other points of interest. Because of this children and adults could be meeting unfamiliar people. Parents, please have a talk with your kids about "stranger-danger". Have open channels of communications with your kids and call police to report any suspicious occurrences.

3. Please respect private property. Playing the game on public property is great. Just please respect the rights of private property owners.

4. If playing during the evening, play in well lit areas. Hatboro curfew for those under 18 years of age is 11:00 P.M. Our parks close at sundown.

To the north, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office shared an image that read "Don't Pokemon and Drive." Beneath the image they said, "We can't believe we have to post this."

AAA has equated Pokemon Go with texting and drinking while driving.

"Don’t text and drive, don’t drink and drive, don’t Pokémon Go and drive," AAA Mid-Atlantic warned in a press release Friday. "Playing Pokémon Go behind the wheel is just as dangerous as any other form of distracted driving."

The auto club also cautioned in their statement that distracted pedestrians are risking their safety and the safety of other road users when they take their eyes off the sidewalk and roads.

Distracted driving is responsible for the deaths of one out of every 10 drivers nationwide, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

AAA recommends that drivers put their cellphone in the glove compartment or trunk to avoid the temptation, and to download a safety app that will lock your phone while driving.

Image courtesy Monroe County Sheriff's Office.