Some Fear Billboards Distract Drivers [View All]

[Ian David]

By PATRICK CONDON
Associated Press Writer

MINNETONKA, Minn. (AP) -- When officials in this Minneapolis suburb didn't like the two eye-popping digital billboards that Clear Channel erected along the freeway, they pulled the plug. They had the power company cut off the electricity.

That move in December sparked a court fight that local governments and the advertising industry alike are watching as digital billboards with fast-changing messages become more prevalent.

The glowing signs offer advertisers a tantalizing new means of cutting through the urban clutter. But some officials worry that the bright billboards, which display a new image every few seconds, are another dangerous distraction for drivers, many of whom are already multitasking behind the wheel.

"If you see a big bright screen and it's flipping its image like a computer, that's going to pull your eyes off the road for a couple seconds," said Bill Steinbicker, a retired marketing executive who supports his city's fight against Clear Channel Communications Inc., the nation's biggest outdoor-advertising company.



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