Agenda - Council - 07/22/2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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3.1 Expert Opinions A combination of researchers and public policy experts were interviewed for this study. Individuals v,7ere identified while conducting background research into driver distraction alnd were interviewed because of their credibility in the field. Kathleen Harder, a researcher at the University of Minnesota, has conducted driver distraction research for a variety of applications, including research for Mn/DOT. She is an expert in the field of human factors and psychology. She indicated that electronic billboards pose a driver distraction .threat because of their ability to display high resolution color images; their abilitSJ to change images, and their placement in relationship to the roadway, particularly in areas where the road curves;' exits and entrances are present, merges, lane drops, weaving areas; key locations of official signs; and/or areas v,There roadways divide. . Greg Davis; a researcher with the FHWA Off ce of Safety Research and Development, in Washington; DC was involved in the 2001 FHWA study on electronic billboards. He was interviewed to gain a deeper understanding of this critical study and to learn of recent research in this area. Davis stated that while no.researeh has established a direct cause and effect relationship bet<ueen electronic outdoor advertising signs and crash rates, the lack of such a research finding does not preclude a causal relationship bet«~een electronic billboards and crashes. He advocated for a nev,~ study that can control all variables and determine if a cause and effect relationship exists. Scott Robinson, au outdoor advertising regulator for Mn/DOT; ~~,~rote the 2003 teclulical memorandum that addresses allov,~able changes for outdoor advertising devices. Mr. Robinson indicated that the memo was originally v~~ritten in 1998 .to establish a permitted rate of change for tri-vision signs and that the application to electronic billboards t~,~as not considered. The minimum change rate of 4.9 seconds for 70 mph road~h~ays and 6.2 seconds for 55 mph roadways j~,~as based on the travel time bet<~,~een static signs spaced at the minimum alto«~ed distance apart. Mr. Robinson also indicated that the memo is not a Mn/I30T policy; statute or rule, but rather it «~as written to provide internal guidance. . Jerry ~TVachtel; aii Engineering Psychologist and highway safet~~ expert in private practice; `~~as the lead author 'for the- FHWA's .original (1980) study on electronic billboards. He has contilued his active iivolvement in this field, azzd advises Goven>znent agencies as «~ell as the outdoor advertising industry oii sign ordinances, sign operations; and the implications of the latest research on road safety. Mr. Waclitel believes that it is neither feasible from the perspective of research design and methodology, nor necessary from a regulatory perspective, to demonstrate a causal relationship bet<?~jeen digital billboards and road safet~~. Rather, he believes that ~~-e have a,strong understanding, based on many years of research; of driver information processing capabilities and 1unitations; and of the contributions to, and consequences o£ driver distraction; on crash risk; and that this understanding is sufficient to suppoi-t.development of guidelines and ordinances for the design, placement, and operation of digital billboards so as to lessen their potentially adverse impact on road safet51 and traffic operations. ~,6 -214-