Pokemon Go is a walking disaster

POKEMON pandemonium continued unabated across the state yesterday, as police reiterated safety warnings — this time against teenagers playing the phone app while driving.

Sydney: Gotta catch em all!

POKEMON pandemonium continued unabated across the state yesterday, as police reiterated safety warnings — this time against teenagers playing the phone app while driving.

Police have caught at least three people playing Pokemon Go on their smartphones while driving, with road safety experts warning more incidents were going undetected.

Federal authorities also issued a malware alert about a sham version of Pokemon Go deceiving Android users and potentially stealing personal information.

On Wednesday police caught two 17-year-old P-platers playing the game while driving at John St, Cabramatta, in the city’s southwest. Both lost four demerit points and were fined $325. Another driver was caught at Rhodes earlier in the week.

NSW Assistant Police Commissioner John Hartley called on families to stamp out their youngsters playing Pokemon while driving.

“Now is the time for older siblings and parents of younger drivers to reinforce proper driving behaviour on our roads,” he said.

“If this isn’t done, police are there to ensure that it is done ... in the hope we can prevent them being involved in a serious-injury or fatal crash.”

Tamra Foy and Finn Melville playing Pokemon Go at Hyde Park, which is one of many hotspots for the game around Sydney. Picture: Richard Dobson

Cabramatta has become one of many hot spots across the city for Pokemon Go fans, drawing youngsters out to scavenge for characters and go for “Poke Walks”. Some mass outings have drawn hundreds of fans until midnight, into suburban parks and footpaths.

“There should be warnings issued about unsafe behaviour around traffic with these devices, just like you have a cigarette warning on a packet”

Pedestrian council chairman Harold Scruby said the combination of distracted pedestrians and distracted drivers was “a perfect storm”.

“There should be warnings issued about unsafe behaviour around traffic with these devices, just like you have a cigarette warning on a packet,” he said. “There would be many more going undetected.”

The federal Department of Communication issued an alert for Android phone users to avoid downloaded unofficial versions of the game.

The alert warned potential users the malware contained a Trojan, a piece of software that installs itself onto a device and allows attackers to steal sensitive information.

Telecommunication stores are also reporting people buying extra power chargers and battery packs. The app uses about 15 per cent of a phone’s battery in half an hour.

Telstra Central NSW general manager Tricia Wilson said portable power banks had been running out the door.

“And we have plenty of customers coming in to charge their phones on the go so they don’t miss a moment of the Pokemon Go action,” she said.

University of Melbourne research fellow Dr Eduardo Velloso said the social aspect of the game had intensified its popularity.

“The brand has also tapped into a sense of nostalgia for those who grew up with Pokemon,” he said. “It’s a gold mine for the developers.”