The Effects of Commercial Electronic Variable Message Signs (CEVMS) on Driver Attention and Distraction: An Update

The present report reviews research concerning the possible effects of Commercial Electronic Variable Message Signs (CEVMS) used for outdoor advertising on driver safety. Such CEVMS displays are alternatively known as Electronic Billboards (EBB) and Digital Billboards (DBB). The report consists of an update of earlier published work, a review of applicable research methods and techniques, recommendations for future research, and an extensive bibliography. The literature review update covers recent post-hoc crash studies, field investigations, laboratory investigations, previous literature reviews, and reviews of practice. The present report also examines the key factors or independent variables that might affect a driver’s response to CEVMS, as well as the key measures or dependent variables which may serve as indicators of driver safety, especially those that might reflect attention or distraction. These key factors and measures were selected, combined, and integrated into a set of alternative research strategies. Based on these strategies, as well as on the review of the literature, a proposed three stage program of research has been developed to address the problem. The present report also addresses CEVMS programmatic and research study approaches. In terms of an initial research study, three candidate methodologies are discussed and compared. These are: (1) an on-road instrumented vehicle study, (2) a naturalistic driving study, and (3) an unobtrusive observation study. An analysis of the relative advantages and disadvantages of each study approach indicated that the on-road instrumented vehicle approach was the best choice for answering the research question at the first stage.

• Record URL:
  http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/realestate/cevms.htm
• Record URL:
  http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/realestate/cevms.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Federal Highway Administration

  Office of Safety Research and Development
  6300 Georgetown Pike
  McLean, VA  United States  22101-2296

  Federal Highway Administration

  Office of Real Estate Services, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Molino, John A
  • Wachtel, Jerry
  • Farbry, John E
  • Hermosillo, Megan B
  • Granda, Thomas M
• Publication Date: 2009-2

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Edition: Final Report, Phase I
• Features: Appendices; Bibliography; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 96p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attention; Distraction; Highway safety; Instrumented vehicles; Literature reviews; Methodology; Research; Roadside advertising; Variable message signs
• Uncontrolled Terms: Future research
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; I73: Traffic Control; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01123009
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-HRT-09-018
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Mar 10 2009 3:07PM