Royersford Police Issue Citation for Driving While Playing Pokemon

Royersford, PA -- Royersford Police said Thursday that they had issued a citation to an individual for driving while playing Pokemon Go, an issue that is becoming increasingly common around the region and nation.

Law enforcement agencies and community groups warned against several of the dangers of the new video game, which has led obsessed players to drive distracted, trespass on private property, and even walk straight off cliffs.

Royersford Police issued the following reminders for the community on what has become a public safety hazard:

1. Victory Park and Chestnut Street park are closed after dark. It is clearly posted and will be enforced.

2. People's private residences and the property that surrounds is known as curtilage. Please respect this and stay in public areas.

3. Be smart and be safe. There are many stories about bad things happening to people playing this game.

4. If you are playing after dark, please wear light-colored clothing. This not only makes you more visible to traffic, but makes someone less likely to think that you are engaging in criminal behavior, and therefore, less likely to generate false calls for the police.

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.