Bulgarian state railways urges Pokémon GO players to keep off the tracks
Bulgarian state railways BDZ has urged players of Pokémon GO, the augmented reality game for smartphone users that has become a worldwide craze since its July 2016 release, to keep off the railway tracks – and has issued other safety tips when hunting Pokémons.
BDZ said in a July 29 statement that it was reminding people that trains cannot stop quickly to avoid people or vehicles on railway lines.
Optical illusions made it difficult to judge accurately how close a train was, and the speed it was travelling, Bulgaria’s railway operator said.
Anyone near the track was at risk of being dragged by the air stream or hit by outsize cargo on the train.
People near railway lines, if seeing an oncoming train, should wait for it to pass at a safe distance, BDZ said.
The state railway company added that people using headphones or mobile phones might not see or hear an approaching train.
BDZ advised people to stay away from the edge of the railway station platform and not to stand on the wrong side of the warning line.
The braking distance of a train was 1000 metres and any attempt to cross a railway line could have fatal consequences, the state railway company said. The electrical tension in overhead cables was 25 000 volts. Any body or object less than two metres from the cable could result in arcing, which would be deadly.
BDZ reminded motorists that they must comply with the lights and sound alarms at level crossings and heed lowered barriers.
(Photos: Clive Leviev-Sawyer)
