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

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revie«=. For dynamic signs requiring a Conditional Use Permit (CUP), the standard process for public notification and a public hearing before the planning commission should apply. 5.Q CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Driver distraction plays a significant role in traffic safety=. Driver distraction is a factor in one in. four crashes; and of those crashes involving driver distraction, one in four involves distractions outside the vehicle. The extent to «=hich dynamic signage contributes to traffic safety has been examined in this study. Following are some of the major fmdings from a revie«= of available research. Drivers that. are subjected to information-rich content that. is irrelevant to the driving task (such as digital advertising) may be temporarily distracted enough to cause a degradation in their driving performance. This degradation could lead to a crash. • Tlie unlimited variety of changing content allows dynamic signage to attract drivers' attention at greater distances acid hold their attention longer than traditional static billboards. • Several studies have found a correlation bet«7een crashes and the complexity of the driving environment. For example, crash rates are Higher at intersections because the difficulty of the driving task is increased by the roadway's complexity. Complex driving enviroiunents place a high demand on drivers' attention. Isztroducing a source of distraction in an already demanding. driving environment is more likely to result in crashes. This is illustrated by the 1994 Wisconsin DOT -study that examined crash rates before and -after installation of an electronic sign an ahigh-volume curving roadway. Introduction of this sign was identified as a likely factor of the 80 percent increase in side-swipe crashes that «=as experienced. • .Many studies have noted a correlation betvaeen outdoor advertisng suns and crash rates, but have not established a causal relationship between the signs and crash rates. Driving is a . complex task influenced by multiple factors. It is not necessary to establish a direct causal relationship betty=een outdoor advertising signs and crash rates to sho«= that they can make.the driving task less safe. «~hile the research shows that driver distraction is a key factor in many motor vehicle crashes; this often includes many interacting factors that distract drivers. Tlie specific driver distraction danger that advertising signs contribute is difficult to quantif}=. A stud}= that could control for multiple variables (human factors, vehicle; enforcement and the roadway enviromnent) would be needed to provide a definitive statement on the level of driver distraction that signs produce. Such a study would likely find that not all advertising sisris cause distraction that «=ould lead to crashes; but some signs in some situations are more likely to contribute to crashes than others. Overall, the literature revie«= conducted for the purpose of this study identifies a relationship betty=een driver distraction and electronic outdoor advertisnnQ devices. As indicated; driver distraction is a significairt factor in crashes. The purpose of dynamic signage is to attract the attention of people in vehicles; so a natural conclusion from that kno«=ledge is that drivers may be distracted by them. Professional traffic engineering judgment concludes that driver distraction generally contributes to a reduction in safe driving characteristics. ~; 28 -236-