A survey has found that one-in-ten students have almost been hit by a car while playing Pokemon Go.
This was just one of the findings of an NRMA survey involving more than 1,100 NSW primary school students across 35 classrooms.
It found that 40% of students aged five to 12 admitted walking into a tree whilst playing the game, while 10% said they’d had a “near miss” with a passing car.
NRMA spokesman, Peter Khoury, said the research showed parents should be vigilant about educating their children on personal safety.
He added that as augmented reality games like Pokémon Go become more popular, the issue is only going to become more widespread.
“What it demonstrates is there are risks we have to take seriously,” Khoury told the Herald Sun.
“It is great kids are out playing Pokémon Go because it means they are getting exercise, but this is a message to parents to make sure they are applying some common sense boundaries.”
One-in-three children surveyed said their parents never set any rules about playing the game near roadways.
Of the students who did have rules in place, 17% said they had broken them, while almost a third of all the kids said they had played the game without their parents’ knowledge.
The survey also showed 40% of children had run out of battery on their mobile devices while chasing Pokémon, meaning their phone was useless if their parents wanted to contact them.