Safety Tips for Playing Pokemon Go

Pokemon Go has people of all ages hitting the streets in search of the next great Pokemon or taking down local gyms. While the game is a lot of fun and people are playing it all over the world (sorry Canada and England), there are a few things to remain cautious about to keep you safe as you venture across the world to find the latest and greatest Pokemon. It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt, so take these tips to heart to avoid any unnecessary dangers.

Travel in Groups

Day or night, when you’re hunting down Pokemon or looking for the next gym to conquer, you’re not paying attention to your surroundings. More often than not you’ll be nose-deep in your phone while anything and everything passes you by. For this reason it’s best to travel in groups so that no one can really surprise you and unwanted strangers will keep their distance.

Carry Water and Snacks

It’s summer in most of the world, and unfortunately you don’t get much for driving while playing Pokemon Go. Most of the time you’ll be on foot as you chase down your next Pokemon, and the temperature can get pretty crazy out there depending on where in the world you live (even at night). Make sure you always have a bottle of water and a snack with you just in case things don’t go quite as you planned. This is especially important for all those night hunts because most stores where you can buy supplies will be closed.

Plan Your Adventures

While the map will play a large part in where your Pokemon Go adventure takes you, it’s best to play a general search area before you depart. Are you going to stay downtown or maybe only search in a certain square mile radius covering a few blocks in each direction. It’s very easy to get lost while playing Pokemon Go. Not because you don’t know the area, but because you’re simply not paying attention to where you’re going or what’s going on around you outside of the game. You might look up and suddenly not know where you area, so it’s best to plan out your trip before you leave.

Don’t Stop in Traffic

There have already been more than a few reported cases of people driving along and suddenly stopping because they saw a Pokemon they want to catch. First and foremost, you shouldn’t be looking at Pokemon Go while you’re driving. It’s even more distracting than trying to send a text message or talk on the phone behind the wheel. That said, if you or a passenger sees a Pokemon they want to catch, pull over to the side of the road, then play the game. Don’t just stop in the middle of the street to catch a Pokemon.

Get Some Sleep

We’re stayed up all night taking over gyms and catching Pokemon and we’re probably not alone in that. Sleep is important, and as exciting as Pokemon Go is right now, getting a good night of rest will help you play better the next day. If you have a Pokemon hunting party planned at night, nap for a couple of hours during the day to refresh yourself. You may not feel tired, but it will help you when it gets to 4AM and you’re in the middle of nowhere looking for Pokemon.

Safety isn’t all that’s important. Find out how to level up quickly, pick Pikachu as your starting Pokemon, and check out a huge map of Pokemon Go locations around the world!