RTD warns drivers against playing Pokemon Go

KUALA LUMPUR: Those found playing Pokemon Go while driving can be fined up to RM300, said the Road Transport Department.
RTD director general Datuk Nadzri Siron said the penalty was in accordance with the offence of using a mobile phone while driving.
"Whether a driver is using a mobile phone for communication purposes or to 'catch' a Pokeman character, it is still an offence and a similar action will be taken against the offenders.
"If the act of using a mobile phone or playing Pokeman Go while driving caused accidents or loss of lives, they would be arrested and charged under the Road Transport Act 1986," he told Bernama yesterday.
Nadzri said to date no action had been taken against any driver in any state for playing Pokemon Go while driving.
Pokemon Go has sparked a new wave in reality games in the history of medium smart phone application invention.
It is a free-to-play, location-based augmented reality game developed by Niantic for iOS and Android devices. Players use a mobile device's GPS capability to locate, capture, battle, and train virtual creatures, called Pokémon, who appear on the screen as if they were in the same real-world location as the player. The game supports in-app purchases for additional in-game items.
The app was officially launched on June 6 this year in Australia, New Zealand and the United States before spreading to over 30 countries at present. — Bernama