One of the fastest growing areas for outdoor digital signage is the use of large outdoor screens along roadsides. These digital billboards are replacing the giant print hoardings along highways, roads and expressways. However, following concerns about this dynamic medium’s affect on drivers and whether they could cause a distraction has seen digital roadside hoardings banned in several cities in America and other town’s are looking to propose legislation.
Danger/distraction
The main argument against roadside digital signage is that they can pose a danger to drivers who may find the imagery distracting. More than a dozen US cities have banned digital billboards along roadsides but those that work in the outdoor digital signage industry are complaining that legislation is knee-jerk and that there is no added danger to a digital signage billboard compare to a print one.
Installers suggest that while digital billboards use imagery that changes very four to ten seconds, they don’t use moving images and so pose no more of a risk than a print image.
Aesthetics
Another argument cited against roadside digital signage has been the appearance of them. Some argue that these modern signs are destroying the natural beauty along many American highways but is this really the case?
It is had to argue that digital signage is any less attractive than print media. At least digital signage looks modern and the images don’t fade, in contrast, roadside print media can fade, rip, and can become covered in graffiti. And roadside hoardings are as much a part of driving across American highways as stopping at the Mom and Pop diners that are dotted along the country’s main roads
Usefulness of Highway Digital Signage
There is also an argument to suggest that roadside digital signage could be actually useful and even could provide a service. We are all used to electronic signs on freeways and highways warning us of impending congestion or accidents but there is no reason why roadside billboards could not be implemented this way when needed.
If an accident is a ahead, a local advertising hoarding could be used to provide important information which could be displayed intermittingly with the advertising content.
