That's what citizen groups are calling digital billboards, saying they area a safety hazard for distracting drivers. States around the country are grappling with how to regulate the glowing signs.
So far, about 2,000 of the U.S.'s 450,000 billboards have gone digital. The industry hopes to convert many more, because they bring in a much greater profit. But there is a growing concern that the signs are intrusive and dangerous.
From the New York Times: "Abby Dart, executive director of Scenic Michigan, a nonprofit group trying to block construction of new digital billboards in the state, calls the signs 'weapons of mass distraction' and says they can be more dangerous than phones.
'You can turn off your phone,' she said. 'The billboard gets your attention whether you want to give it or not.'"
FULL STORY: Digital Billboards, Diversions Drivers Can’t Escape
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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