Distractions proved deadly

TOKYO: Just one month after the release of Pokemon Go, Japan saw its first fatal traffic accident linked to the popular augmented-reality mobile game.

In the western city of Tokushima, a 72-year-old woman was killed and another badly injured in an accident involving a man playing the game while driving.

The two women were crossing a road when they were hit by the man’s car.

Two more fatal accidents followed in August and October, both in Aichi prefecture, central Japan, caused by drivers who said they were distracted by Pokemon Go.

Soon after a 9-year-old boy was killed in the third accident in Ichinomiya in late October, the city and the Aichi prefectural police demanded Niantic, the game’s developer, take safety precautions.

The change on the smartphone app, which took effect worldwide in early November, prevents players from spinning Pokestops to gain items at driving speed.

The developer had earlier banned Pokemon from appearing on the game when the player is travelling over a certain speed.

“The restriction is surely a step forward,” Takatoshi Noritake, the father of the boy, told reporters.

Pokemon Go was launched by Nintendo, a Japanese company, but the developer, Niantic, is based in the US. – ANA-DPA