NTL Record

Title The effects of commercial electronic variable message signs (CEVMS) on driver attention and distraction : an update
Record ID 35159
Personal Name
Creator
Molino, John A.; Wachtel, Jerry; Farbry, John E.; Hermosillo, Megan B.; Granda, Thomas M.
Source v, 87 p. : ill.
Corporate Creator United States. Federal Highway Administration. Office of Safety R&D. Human Centered Systems Team
Corporate
Contributor
United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration. Office of Real Estate Services
Publisher Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center
Publication Date 20090200
Language English
Abstract 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.
Rosap ID dot:950
Rosap URL https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/950
TRT Terms Variable message signs; Roadside advertising; Distraction; Traffic safety
Classification NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - Highway Safety;
NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - Human Factors
Geographical
Coverage
United States
Report Number FHWA-HRT-09-018
Availability Federal Highway Administration
Resource type Tech Report
URL https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/35000/35100/35159/FHWA-HRT-09-018.pdf
Alternative URL http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/realestate/cevms.pdf
Format PDF
Database NTL Digital Repository