Driver distraction from roadside advertising: The clash of road safety evidence, highway authority guidelines and commercial advertising pressure
HORBERRY ; REGAN MICHAEL ; EDQUIST
Type de document
COMMUNICATION AVEC ACTES INTERNATIONAL (ACTI)
Langue
anglais
Auteur
HORBERRY ; REGAN MICHAEL ; EDQUIST
Résumé / Abstract
This paper examines possible driver distraction from billboards and other 3rd party roadside advertising - including both electronic/digital and traditional static advertising signage. It considers three conflicting data sources/stakeholders: road safety evidence produced by the research community, the role of road authorities to develop balanced, defensible and robust guidelines to regulate advertising (often such advertising is also revenue raising for the authorities), and the role of commercial advertisers and advertising bodies who seek to maximize the exposure of their billboards. Where it exists, the research literature has generally found that such advertising in the road environment has negative safety effects. Despite this, there is still a lack of conclusive research evidence upon which to form comprehensive guidelines or standards about how much distraction from advertising is 'safe'. This might explain why the situation regarding roadside advertising restrictions around the world is very variable, ranging from complete bans, to little regulation. Given the lack of both comprehensive research evidence and international regulatory agreement, road authorities may therefore be justified in using the best research information available (albeit incomplete) coupled with engineering judgement. Different guidelines from selected countries around the world are reviewed, and the current and draft guidelines in the Australian State of Queensland are considered in more depth as a case study. Finally, it is argued here that more emphasis should be placed on advertisers to prove that a roadside advertisement is safe, rather than on road authorities to have to prove it is unsafe. Equally, more independent research to help better inform roadside advertising policy and guidelines is sorely needed.
