Can billboards cause accidents? This is an important question to ask, as the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is increasingly relying on roadside signs to display safety messages. Over the last year, CDOT has created and posted billboards with Star Wars-themed safety messages or the current number of deaths from car accidents throughout the state. Nothing would be more ironic and scary than billboards with driver safety messages causing car accidents. However, studies on distracted driving have suggested billboards can put motorists at risk.

In 2012, the California Department of Transportation hired CTC & Associates to discover how motorists are affected by billboards. CTC’s research heavily references Safety Impacts of the Emerging Digital Display Technology for Outdoor Advertising Signs, a prior study conducted by the Veridian Group in 2009. According to Veridian’s research, billboards can negatively affect driver control and speed, especially in older motorists. In addition, the research found evidence digital billboards were much more likely to be distracting for motorists.

Are Billboards Regulated in Colorado?

States have differing regulations on billboard designs. There are also federal and local regulations to consider. Many cities, including Denver, have banned digital LED billboards. Regulations are in place because the specific design of billboards can cause either less or more distraction. For example, font size, display brightness and visual effects can all influence driver distraction.

In the case of CDOT’s billboards, they are created in a way that limits distraction. Many messages on CDOT’s billboards also offer warnings of dangerous driving conditions or other important information. CDOT’s Denver Office is in charge of regulating billboard designs, permits and signs. It would be ironic and sad if the agency in charge of regulating billboards created dangerous billboards. Thankfully, that doesn’t appear to be the case.