Digital and Projected Advertising Displays: Regulatory and Road Safety Assessment Guidelines

Rapid changes to digital and projected advertising display (DPAD) technologies, and associated reductions in costs of these devices, have greatly increased requests for application approvals of installations of these devices near roadways. With the increase in light intensity, resolution, animation functions and size of these devices, road authorities across Canada are challenged with establishing appropriate application guidelines for this quickly changing technology. Many jurisdictions guidelines and regulations have failed to keep up with the rate of change of these advertising billboards. Without appropriate regulations in place for these devices, more of them are being installed without understanding potential negative impacts to road users and this has resulted in growing concerns of road authorities and the motoring public of driver distraction and other potential safety related outcomes. These guidelines are intended to assist jurisdictions in developing their own DPAD regulations, evaluating DPAD permit applications, and assessing their potential road safety impact. The guidelines are applicable for all road types and are specific to road safety; they do not consider the aesthetic, nuisance, economic, or other factors associated with these types of signs. The guidelines are based on a comprehensive literature review, survey of Canadian jurisdictions, review of sign by-laws, interviews with international jurisdictions, discussions with advertising and sign industry representatives, and the application of human factors and road safety engineering principles. They are designed to encourage consistent practice across Canada and promote transparency, reasonableness, and flexibility in regulating and permitting DPADs.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Association of Canada (TAC)

  401-1111 Prince of Wales Drive
  Ottawa, Ontario  Canada 
• Authors:
  • Rempel, G
  • Montufar, J
  • Forbes, G
  • Dewar, R
• Publication Date: 2015

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Pagination: 1 v., 116p+1optical disc, 12cm.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Distraction; Drivers; Human factors; Installation; Publicity; Roadside; Safety; Specifications
• ITRD Terms: 9001: Behaviour; 2237: Distraction; 1772: Driver; 2257: Human factor; 3840: Installation; 8573: Publicity; 2821: Roadside; 1665: Safety; 177: Specifications
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01569358
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transportation Association of Canada (TAC)
• Files: ITRD, TAC
• Created Date: Jul 10 2015 2:33PM