Those pesky billboards
One of the news stories this week that would definitely have an impact on motorists is the one about Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty revisiting the issue of banning the use of cell phones and other electronic devices while one is behind the wheel. It is the hope of those who support this ban that, without cell phones and the like, motorists will be less distracted and more able concentrate on the task at hand … that of driving a vehicle.
While we are on the subject of driver distractions I would also like the Premier, or somebody, to take a good look at another issue … billboards.
Maybe it’s just me but, as a driver, I find some of the billboards around the city very distracting. I take the Gardiner every day and there are several huge outdoor signs, some with moving images, all along that route; a large flying piece of pizza comes to mind.
Also I take the eastbound Gardiner ramp to Jarvis every morning. At the bottom of the ramp there is a video billboard. When it first went up it would always catch me by surprise. Because of the rapidly moving images I would think that perhaps there was a police car behind me with flashing lights, or the lights in my vehicle were flickering. I’m used to it now but at first I found it to be quite disconcerting.
You’d never know it by the number and variety of signs, but Toronto and other cities do have rules about outdoor advertising that cover the size, location and the type of ads that are allowed. Advertising companies can request a “variance” from the bylaw so they can put up bigger, brighter ads and most of the time these variance applications are accepted. Public notification of a request is not required.
Do you feel the same way about billboards as I do, or are we simply getting used to them and accepting them as yet another element in a never ending stream of driver distractions?
May 28th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Um… Not to be mean or anything, but you know that the hand that feeds you pays for one of said Gardiner billboards, right?
June 2nd, 2008 at 6:32 am
Re pesky billboards totally agree they can be and are very distracting ….reduce size and place them outside of heavily trafficked areas………HKsr.
June 5th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
I have to agree about billboards, I think they are a much worse distraction than a cell phone. I have never been able to get used to coming around a corner and there is yet another moving billboard sign. A person either has to stop to read them or be distracted while they are driving and lets face it they are put there for us to read while we are driving. How would they feel if some one was reading a book, flipping through a magazine or catalogue while driving? to me thats the equivilent of all the billboards around our city streets.
June 22nd, 2008 at 3:43 am
I agree that animated signs and billboards along roads sides and especially highways are very distractive and create danger for drivers. Furthermore, there is a little chance that drivers will look at billboards and will understand what this add is about while driving at the high speed. It is actually a waste for companies which put their billboards along the high traffic routes.