Mobile, Ala., Councilwoman: Electronic Billboards May Cause Traffic Hazard

A city councilwoman in Mobile, Ala., wants to enact a 120-day moratorium on new electronic billboards so none can be constructed while the council’s Public Safety Committee researches possible regulations concerning the signs, which she believes could distract drivers.

Hudson and council President Reggie Copeland said at a meeting last week that they had concerns the signs could cause traffic accidents by distracting drivers.

Hudson said the moratorium is necessary to make sure companies don’t do all their sign-building before any new regulations are created.

“I would hate to see the sign companies make hay while the sun shines,” she said. “Realizing that restrictions might be forthcoming, they might be inclined to move ahead now.”

Hudson doesn’t want a permanent ban on such signs but wants to regulate how many there are and how close they can be to each other.

City Attorney Jim Rossler said other cities have gone so far as to regulate how many seconds each advertisement must appear on the screen to eliminate the constant flipping that officials say can be distracting to drivers.

A representative from Lamar Advertising, a billboard company, said last week that the signs haven’t caused an increase in accidents.

Mobile police spokeswoman Nancy Johnson said the department hasn’t seen any correlation between electronic signs and traffic accidents.

Information from: Press-Register,
http://www.al.com/mobileregister