An Ontario ad created to dissuade teenagers from distracted driving was altered to warn youth of the dangers of playing Pokemon Go behind the wheel.
The original version of the ad was released by the Ontario government in June in an effort to get teens off their phone while they drive. The province said one in seven deaths on Ontario roads is caused by distracted driving.
Equity Arcade, a gaming platform service for video game startups and developers, posted an altered version of the ad on YouTube on July 8.
It features the exact same sequence of events as the original Ontario ad, but instead of being distracted by text messages, the driver is distracted by his Pokemon Go updates before getting into a car crash.
“Stay aware of your surroundings,” the ad warns. The driver then appears in a wheelchair at a hospital with the Pikachu pokemon in the room.
The game has also captured the attention of Ontario Provincial Police and Minister of Transportation Steven Del Duca. They both warned players of the dangers of being distracted – both while in the street, and behind the wheel.
Del Duca made reference to a bird-like pokemon called a Pidgeot in a July 11 Twitter post.
“Don’t be a Pidgeot,” he said. “Look where you’re walking and keep your head up when crossing the street.”
Even though it hasn’t officially launched in Canada, the game has become a huge craze in the country over the past week. Players use the GPS on their smartphones to capture pokemon in real-life surroundings.
Players can catch pokemon in Toronto at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, the Eaton Centre, Yorkdale Shopping Centre and city hall.
Although there have been no reported incidents related to the game in Toronto, police officers in Quebec City suffered from minor injuries after a distracted driver playing the game reversed onto their cruiser.
Police have warned players to be cautious while playing in public, as there have been incidents in the United States where players were targeted and robbed.
