Digital Billboards: What we Know Now

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Digital BillboardsWhat we Know Now

• Presented to ASHTO SCOTE
• Manchester, New Hampshire
• Jerry Wachtel, The Veridian Group, Inc.
• June 16, 2009

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Inattention vs. Distraction

• A driver may be inattentive for many reasons
  daydreaming, lost in thought, drowsiness, etc.
• Distraction - when a driver is delayed in the
  recognition of information needed to safely
  accomplish the driving task, because something
  within or outside the vehicle draws attention
  away from driving.
• It is the presence of a triggering event that
  distinguishes distraction from inattention.

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In short

• Inattention is passive
• Drivers can be inattentive at any time and
  without reason
• Distraction is active (although it could be
  unconscious)
• Drivers engage in many distractions most of
  which we cannot control
• As an example

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But roadside advertising as a distractor is
something that we can control.
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Why are DBBs Different?

• The human eye is hard-wired to be drawn to the
  brightest objects in the scene and to those that
  display motion, or apparent motion.
• This phenomenon is sometimes called phototaxis or
  phototropism.
• Recent research (e.g. Theeuwes) shows that this
  response is both is automatic and unavoidable.
• DBBs use both brightness and movement to capture
  attention.

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This DBB is Shown from a Distance of Six Miles
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How Else do DBBs Differ from Conventional
Billboards?

• Size potential one sign is 90 x 65 ft 165 ft
  high
• Compelling photo-realistic/broadcast imagery
• Intermittency and image change at will
• Potential for message sequencing
• Potential for interactivity with driver

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My Biases

• I have worked for the industry, including OAAA,
  NESA, and large outdoor advertising firms such as
  Lamar and Infinity.
• I have worked for local governments in developing
  and defending sign ordinances.
• I have performed research for Government and
  industry alike.

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My Work Leads to These Conclusions

• Billboards have gone from paintings on barns, to
  print on poster paper, to vinyl sheets, and now
  to digital displays.
• Its not the technology of the display that
  should concern us, but the manner in which that
  display is used
• Were not concerned because they are digital, but
  because of their operational characteristics
  coupled with their location.

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In Other Words

• IF a DBB was set to a luminance level appropriate
  to the ambient environment in which it is viewed,
  and
• IF the DBB message change interval was such that
  no driver saw more than one such change, and
• IF we ensured that location restrictions (e.g.
  interchange areas, horizontal curves, merges,
  lane drops, etc.) were truly enforced,
• THEN we should not be particularly concerned
  about safety impacts due to distraction.

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Recent Research

• In recent years, independent research studies
  have been conducted in several countries
• U.S.
• Netherlands
• England
• Scotland
• South Africa
• Australia
• Brazil
• Finland

• Studies have included
• Laboratory
• Simulation
• On-road
• Interviews and focus groups
• Post-hoc crash analyses

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The Research is Quite Clear

• The more recent the research, the stronger the
  findings, and
• The stronger the theoretical basis for
  understanding the nature of the problem
• Drivers eyes off the road for 1.6 seconds or
  longer leads to a substantially higher crash rate
• DBBs can attract drivers eyes for longer than
  1.6 seconds, and dramatically longer than for
  conventional billboards.

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Only Two Recent Studies Show No Adverse Safety
Impact

• Tantala and Tantala
• Virginia Tech
• Both sponsored by the outdoor advertising
  industry
• Both severely criticized in peer review
• Both rejected for presentation or publication by
  TRB
• Ironically, the Virginia Tech human factors study
  found substantial degradation in eye glance
  behavior and did not report it.

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The Virginia Tech Data on Long Eye Glances as
Reported
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Glances longer than 1.6 sec 6 of all
glances Glances longer than 2.0 sec 2 of all
glances Glances longer than 3.0 sec 0 of all
glances
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Glances longer than 1.6 sec. 9 of all
glances Glances longer than 2.0 sec 5 of all
glances Glances longer than 3.0 sec 0 of all
glances
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Glances of 1.6 sec or longer 21 of all
glances Glances of 2.0 sec or longer 10 of all
glances Glances of 3.0 sec or longer 2 of all
glances
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Glances of 1.6 sec or longer 13 of all
glances Glances of 2.0 sec or longer 7 of all
glances Glances of 3.0 sec or longer 3 of all
glances
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Summary of Unanalyzed VA-Tech Data
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Conclusions Unreported

• DBBs and comparison sites (mostly on-premise
  DBBs) together produced
• 2X as many glances gt 1.6 seconds as baseline
  sites and conventional billboards (34 - 15)
• 2.5X as many glances gt 2.0 seconds as baseline
  and conventional sites (17 - 7)
• 5 of glances gt 3.0 seconds no such glances
  were made to baseline or conventional sites.
• From a pilot study, the authors predicted
  significantly worse DBB performance at night.

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On-Premise Signs Whats Wrong with This Picture?

• The Virginia Tech study found, as expected, that
  on-premise digital signs were as bad as, if not
  worse than, DBBs
• HBA regulates billboards, not on-premise signs
• These are left to local governments, typically
  through zoning and land use
• But, on premise signs may be
• Bigger
• Brighter
• Closer to the ROW
• Contain full motion video
• At or near interchanges, curves, etc.
• If our concern is driver distraction, isnt the
  potential just as high, or higher, for on-premise
  signs?

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The Worlds Largest Digital Billboard 90 x 65
atop a 165 Post Visible for more than 2 Miles
Along I-495 in NYC
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Advertising Signs on the ROW What Does the
MUTCD Say?

• Section 1A.01 Traffic control devices or their
  supports shall not bear any advertising messages
  or any other message that is not related to
  traffic control.
• Section 1A.02, requires that TCDs fulfill a
  need, convey a clear, simple meaning, and
  command respect from road users.
• Section 2E.21 Changeable message signs shall
  display pertinent traffic operational and
  guidance information only, not advertising.

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What did Dudek Find?

• Recent NCHRP study on the use of CMS during
  non-incident, non-roadwork periods.
• States and toll authorities reported pressure to
  display public service messages, safety
  campaigns, and advertisements, often against the
  wishes of safety personnel
• There are excellent guidelines available for
  design and operation of CMSs not always
  followed.

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Other Lessons from Dudek

• Long messages (e.g. telephone numbers, websites,
  license plate numbers) take too long to read and
  may cause drivers to slow
• Messages irrelevant to traffic safety/flow are
  strongly opposed by motorists
• Change blindness can occur if a message has
  changed from irrelevant to relevant
• Loss of credibility when CMSs display untimely or
  irrelevant messages
• These are the very characteristics of advertising
  signs.

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The proposed DBB-CMS location in the opposite
direction
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The Next ChallengeDBBs on Vehicles Moving in
Traffic

• New companies offer DBBs to be displayed on
  trucks in the traffic stream.
• Some use 40 trailers with huge LED screens
  displaying full motion video.
• Some governmental agencies are using this
  technology on public buses and trolleys.
• Some jurisdictions have amended their sign codes
  to prohibit such commercial displays.

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And, Next on the Horizon Interactive Billboards
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This sign sends a personalized message to the
approaching driver
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An Interactive Billboard in Belgium
1. The driver sends an SMS using a code from the
sign 2. The billboard sends a return message with
a question 3. The driver messages a response to
the question 4. A correct answer causes the
billboard to act like a pinball machine the
driver is entered into a drawing a wrong answer
causes the billboard to tilt.
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New Research and Regulatory Activity

• FHWA has begun its on-road research study.
• It will use an instrumented vehicle and highly
  sophisticated eye movement recording system
• Research will be done in two different cities
• Data collection should start this fall
• FHWA has begun an International Scan to learn
  about activities in other countries
• TRB Digital Signage subcommittee will develop
  research needs statements for on-premise and
  on-road DBBs we hope for AASHTO support
• But there is no concerted effort to address
  interactive DBBs or DBBs on moving vehicles.

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Driver distraction is an increasing concern we
cant control all of it
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But it is within our purview to control some of
it
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Thanks very much for your attention.