More concerns surrounding electronic billboards
Posted January 30, 2013 9:59 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – There were a lot of complaints as those big, flashy, electronic billboards started going up along some of Metro Vancouver’s major routes, and new research suggests some of the worries over distracted driving may have been valid.
Given the amount of data, researchers can’t conclusively say electronic billboards are a traffic safety hazard, but they say a European study does validate existing concerns about higher crash risks.
According to the research, drivers take more and longer glances at electronic billboards than regular signs. The bright colours and constantly changing messages grab visual attention, “dwell times” are longer, “very long single glances” are more frequent, and the number of “fixations” are greater.
Drivers in Metro Vancouver offer mixed opinions to News1130 on whether they are a dangerous distraction.
“The font is quite big — you do have to look to read it — but at least it’s big enough you can read it and see and then continue on,” says Alicia, who concedes the electronic signs at locations like the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge and the Massey Tunnel do grab her attention.
“They’re not a distraction,” counters Jurgen, who considers himself a very careful driver. “I don’t pay attention to them. A guy who used to work for me says I drive like I have a load of glass in the back,” he laughs.
The study, done on a busy stretch of road in Stockholm Sweden, appears in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention.
