Pokemon Go: Police issue warning after motorists caught playing game behind the wheel

SOME would-be Pokémon hunters have seen their quest to “catch ‘em all” land them in hot water with police, with officers busting two motorists playing the popular game while driving.

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SOME would-be Pokémon hunters have seen their quest to “catch ‘em all” land them in hot water with police, with Highway Patrol officers busting two motorists playing the popular game while driving.

“What do you get when you mix driving & Pokémon Go? $325 and 4 Demerit Points,” the NSW Police Force tweeted this afternoon.

Police confirmed two motorists were caught playing the augmented reality game despite being behind the wheel, in the same hour.

Two drivers were fined after being caught playing the Pokémon Go game while behind the wheel. Picture: NSW Police Force

Tamra Foy and Finn Melville playing Pokemon Go at Hyde Park. Picture: Richard Dobson

It is understood both drivers were nabbed by police in the Bankstown area.

In NSW it’s illegal to “hold and use your phone at any time while driving or riding”.

The incidents come the same day NSW police launched a major safety blitz, urging drivers to be safe.

“This is not about fines, demerit points, suspensions or infringements. This is about the difference between living and dying, life and incapacitation,” Traffic and Highway Patrol commander Assistant Commissioner John Hartley said.

“This is a plea to every road user to do the right thing, to arrive safe to the family — it is a plea for patience, common sense, sound judgment and wise decisions.”

It’s not the first time the new Pokémon Go game has landed users in trouble with police.

Burwood police arrested a driver last night after he was caught using his phone to hunt Pokémon while driving.

Players searching for Pokemon.

The augmented reality game encourages people to walk to new locations. Here a Doduo is found at Box Hill Cemetery.

He was also fined for obstructing traffic.

In Queensland, Mt Isa police took a tongue in cheek approach after a school reported a trespasser chasing a “Charmander”. QPS tweeted images of police “escorting” the fire-tailed lizard from the school grounds.

Mt Isa police took a tongue-in-cheek approach after a Pokémon Go user trespassed on a school’s grounds. Picture: Queensland Police Service

The game, which hit Australia last Thursday and is based on the 1990s cartoon and games, uses GPS and a camera to combine the digital realm with the real world.

The further players travel, the more exotic creatures they’ll encounter and the phenomenon has already seen some canny drivers offering their services to chauffer players around — for a price.