Roadside Advertising May Increase Driver Distraction, Leading to Auto Accidents

A new study warns that drivers who engage both visually and mentally with roadside advertisements face a significantly increased risk of being involved in car accidents, and the risks extend beyond standard billboards, to include various types of roadside messaging or information that could divert drivers’ attention.

While there has been substantial research on the risk of driver distractions from billboards, there has been less focus on the impacts of other types of roadside signs, which could communicate important safety information, but also divert attention from the road.

In findings published in the journal Science Direct on September 14, researchers from Australia and the Netherlands conducted a comprehensive review, analyzing databases and existing literature, to examine how various distractions along the road influence accident risk.

The research suggests that the impact of these distractions varies, depending on the driver’s experience, age, and how close the distraction is to the road.

Previous studies have determined that more than 800,000 motor vehicle accidents are caused by distracted driving annually, and researchers believe this number is highly underreported.

In this new study, researchers categorized distractions as either advertising signs or other sources of distraction. Advertising signs included items such as banners, inflatable advertisements, roadside signs, service station signs and logo signs. Other distractions included examples like wildlife, construction zones, dynamic message signs, sporting activities and graffiti.

Billboards were excluded from the study, because they have already been extensively studied.

Researchers utilized attention theory, which posits that distraction arises when focus shifts from critical driving tasks, to identify various distractions. They also examined the threat superiority effect, which suggests that threatening stimuli capture a driver’s attention more than other stimuli.

The Driver Behavior Roadside Advertising (DBRA) framework works to explain the relationship between roadside advertising and driver behavior, highlighting the concept of extended engagement, where drivers remain distracted even after passing the distraction.

Among all the variables considered, drones were found to be the most distracting, particularly when both the drones and their operators were close to the road.

Construction zones did not present a significant level of distraction. However, less experienced drivers may be at greater risk due to challenges in navigating detours and hazards. Similarly, while service and logo signs did not pose a significant road safety risk overall, older drivers demonstrated poorer performance by spending longer times glancing at the signage.

Murals inside tunnels and roadside memorials showed potential to enhance driver performance, reduce anxiety and offer short-term safety benefits, according to the study.

Although more extensive research is needed to draw definitive conclusions about the various distractions drivers encounter, researchers recommend several strategies to enhance driver safety, such as adding murals inside tunnels to alleviate driver boredom, reduce fatigue, and improve overall performance.

Researchers also suggest implementing appropriate signage and road markings before entering construction zones to help drivers better understand the road environment and the hazards ahead. To accommodate drivers of all ages, signage should take into account the number of words, font size and overall sign dimensions.