Pokemon GO is not like most other video games. It's an "augmented reality" game that sounds you out into the real world to catch all your little creatures, and that means there are different concerns for those hunting Zubats on city streets than in their own homes. Pokemon GO is terribly fun, but it's safe to say that it's more dangerous than sitting at home and playing a traditional Pokemon game on your couch. So exercise caution: there have already been reports of minor injuries playing the game, and it's going to take effort to make sure that we don't end up with something worse. Here are some tips to help you play this thing safely:
Stop to catch your Pokemon: Most of Pokemon GO can safely run in the background, or at least with little attention being paid to it. Walking for eggs and experience you can do without looking at the screen, and it's pretty easy to just grab pokestops as they come up. Catching an actual Pokemon, however, requires a bit more attention. You've got to find the thing on your screen, you've got to flick a ball at it, and sometimes you've got to flick another ball. Protip: this is when you're going to walk into a tree, or worse. Not that I've done that. So make this be the one action you don't perform while actually walking. Stop, move to the side, catch your Pokemon, and move on. You might look weird, but there are worse things.
Stay hydrated, wear a hat: It's July. It's hot. You see some rustling grass around the corner, you nag another Doduo, you see some more, you keep moving, and sooner or later you're a mile away from home and succumbing to the early stages of heat stroke. This was the biggest problem I encountered in my first two days of play: I was having a great time, but getting pretty dehydrated by doing so. So take all the normal precautions you might if you were going on a hike or something: bring a water bottle or plan to walk by places where hydration will be available, wear sunscreen, and wear a hat. Pokemon GO is currently available in the United States, Australia and New Zealand, so this tip is mostly for those in the northern hemisphere, judging by what I've seen on the Internet about the weather down under.
Remember that your phone will buzz: Again, catching a Pokemon is the most involved thing you're going to be doing in this game. Very little else requires you to keep your eyes glued to your screen while you do it, and so don't keep your eyes glued to your screen. If you just want to you can just walk, let the app run in the background, put your phone down and wait for it to buzz when a Pokemon is near. Or take a look at the map, identify some rustling grass and put your phone away until you get there. You'll know when the Pokemon is near, and then you can stop to catch it. The goal is to avoid moving while you're staring at your phone, and the game makes it easy enough to do.
Don't wander into police stations: Unless you're a cop, I guess, but then it's not really wandering, is it? Pokestops and gyms show up in all sorts of places, and not all of them are the sort of places you want to just show up in unannounced. One police department had to tell people to stop coming inside to play the game, advising them that Sandshrew would still be there later. One of the best parts of Pokemon GO is that it sends you to all sorts of places you wouldn't end up at otherwise, but some common sense is required as well. Remember that nearly everything you need to do in this game you can do from the street.
Don't play while driving: Don't.
