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

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the topic of electronic billboards (EBBS}. While the study did not conduct an}= neva research; it does provide an excellent summary of the role electronic billboards play in traffic safety and includes good descriptions of the .terminology, related to electronic billboards. Selected findings from that synthesis are provided below=: "In. most insta~aces, resem•claers were ~aot able to verify that ma. EBB was a major factor. in causi~ag a crash. O~aly o».e study since the 1980 review arad ofze la~=suit 1~~ere i.dent~ed. " "Studies were ide~~.tifr.ed that verified that:. an increase ira dr'str•actiora, a decrease in conspicuity, or a decrease i.n legibility nzay cause a~a. increase in the crash rate. " "Conanaercial EBBs are desi~aed to `catch t1a.e eye' of drivers. Their preseJace nay dist~•act drivers from co~acenta•atirag ova. the driving task and visual surrounds. " "There is in.dcati:o~a tla.at individual drffereraces iia age mad driving experience naay be important consideratio~as i~a driver distr•actio~a, mad m•e relevan.t to understma.di~ag driver responses to tlae exter~aal environment. Furthermore, resem•ch. r•egardi~~g driver fataailiarity of their route denao~istrated that visual fixatio~as on roaa'v~~ay signs decreases as route fanailiari.ty increases. This resem•ch naay show that there is a d ffe7•erace bet~~~een commuter mad visiting drivers. " Based on these findings; the FHWA recommended additional research to further demonstrate ho«= roadu=ay characteristics, sign characteristics and legibility; driver characteristics and other potential driver distractions. affect traffic safety. FHWA was contacted to see if any new information was available. Greg Davis; a Research Psychologist ~=,=ith the FHWA Office of Safety R&D, indicated that the FHWA has not performed additional studies on the topic since the report was published. He stated that there is "no direct correlation beri~,=een. electronic outdoor advertising signs and crash rates''. He referred to a before/after study of electronic signs installed along.a freeze=a}= in Las Vegas that found no change in crash rates. He ~~,=ent on to say that the lack of a research finding that links signs with crash rates does not mea1~ that a causal relationship does not exist. He indicated that he has been contacted by several law enforcement agencies regarding the link beriveen driver distraction and dynamic message signs/electronic billbo~.rds. He indicated flzat this is a timel}= and pertinent topic for many states due to the increasing popularity and capabilities of electronic outdoor advertising devices, and he expects further research to be forthcoming. He advocates for a new stud= that can control for .all variables and detennule if a cause and effect relationship exists.'' 3.5 How Does "Brig.htness" Affect Driver Safet~~ Concerns? The brightness of an.}= sig~.l; static or d}=namic, raises concerns «=itli discomfort or disabilii~= glare to the driver that may arise ~~7hen vie~~=nlg any lighted object. Disability Glare occurs «=hen a ~~$ -226-