Don't be a "Distractor:" Officials warn motorists not to let Pokémon craze drive them crazy
MADISON -- The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) State Patrol warns motorists not to let the Pokémon craze drive them crazy.
Officials with the Wisconsin State Patrol are reporting drivers distracted by the popular new gaming app. Wisconsin alone has already experienced two Pokémon GO-related crashes.
David Pabst, director of the WisDOT Bureau of Transportation Safety said the following in a news release:
"The dangers of distracted driving, also known as inattentive driving, are not exaggerated and are a growing threat to everyone on the road. Last year in Wisconsin, 94 people were killed in crashes in which at least one driver was listed as driving inattentively. In addition, 10,615 people were injured in distracted driving crashes in 2015."
WisDOT has been working on a number of initiatives to combat distracted driving, including new TV, radio and online productions that highlight how distracted driving is entirely preventable. The video messages, featuring a new super-villain known as the "Distractor."
WisDOT has also allocated federal funding to support anti-distracted driving efforts of law enforcement task forces in select counties. WisDOT will also continue to display messages warning about the dangers of distracted driving on electronic signs on major highways across Wisconsin.