Culture

VicRoads Sure Are Fed Up With You Playing Pokémon Go On The Road

Guys. The Pikachu isn't worth it.

by Meg Watson  27 July 2016

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You know those road safety ads where a teen grabs their phone while driving and sends a nothing message like “see you later” or “sup” or an eggplant emoji before promptly smashing head-first into an oncoming car? The ones that make you feel a deep sense of dread about not only the stupid shit you constantly say, but your own driving ability and that of every jerk around you watching Facebook videos in traffic? (I SEE YOU, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?)

Well, I give it three months until we get a far more cringeworthy one about Pokémon Go.

This morning VicRoads erected 40 signs around Melbourne with this very necessary message for commuters. Speaking with 3AW this morning, VicRoads Road Use Policy director Robyn Seymour expressed a certain degree of sympathy for those who Gotta Catch Em All, but ultimately reinforced her message to publicly shame them into safety.

“We know how popular it is and it could be very tempting,” she said. “We just want to keep everyone safe on the road, so we’re asking them not to do that. We don’t want to be putting drivers and other people at risk on the road.”

This isn’t the first time authorities have issued warnings on the matter. Earlier this month, Victoria Police reminded those playing the game to watch out for pesky things like traffic and made clear that we all looked extremely shady huddling around people’s houses and forming mobs around lures in the CBD. “Truthfully, I think it is a little embarrassing,” Warrnambool Sergeant and Senior Buzzkill Cameron Ross told the ABC.

All that aside, the risk in playing while driving truly is not worth it. There have already been a number of small accidents reported around the country, but thankfully none involving severe injuries. One guy in the US did however run into a police car while playing which, you know, is reason enough to give up it up for good.

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Feature image via Melissa Brown/Twitter.