Q: Drivers can get a ticket for distracted driving when they look at their cellphone while driving (unless it’s handsfree), but there seems to be no problem with digital billboards that have changing screens which distract drivers, said reader Earl De Vries of Ontario. De Vries asked who is held accountable when a billboard causes a driver to be distracted and this leads to an accident. He asked for an explanation of what he called a “double standard.”
A: It certainly seems that some advertising billboards with flashing messages, or long messages and phone numbers on them, are distracting or contain more information than a driver on the freeway could – or should – be able to read while driving. But plenty of other things that distract drivers also are allowed, from vehicle navigation screens to car radios to eating while driving. Most studies conducted over the years on this topic have found that the distraction to drivers from billboards doesn’t reach the serious danger level and that drivers can self-regulate their attention to billboards.
Outdoor advertising, which includes freeway billboards and signs on buses, is a multibillion dollar industry in the United States, according to the trade association Out of Home Advertising Association of America.
Freeway billboards are regulated by Caltrans, which explains on its website how outdoor advertising visible from freeways is permitted and regulated. Readers can visit the website to see the rules, permitting laws, fees, and allowed locations: https://dot.ca.gov/programs/traffic-operations/oda). Our reader may contact the Office of Outdoor Advertising to voice any concerns by emailing [email protected] or calling 916-654-6473.
As to who might be held accountable if a driver is distracted by a flashing billboard and causes an accident, this could end up as a civil court matter in the event of a civil lawsuit by either party.
DMV changes
ICYMI: The California Department of Motor Vehicles made some big changes that took effect June 3 and will likely influence how you do business with the DMV. The DMV has moved many of its services to an online-only format, to make it easier to avoid a visit to a DMV office and to reduce the long wait times at the DMVs. The DMV said the changes could reduce DMV office visits by 200,000 customers a month, or 2.4 million office trips in a year.
As of June 3, the DMV began processing these transactions through alternative options such as online and is no longer processing them in a DMV office:
- Basic vehicle registration renewals that are not past the due date
- Driver license renewals that don’t require an in-person visit
- Requests for copies of vehicle registration records that show ownership history
- Requests for copies of driver’s license records that show a driver’s history
- Replacing a lost or stolen driver’s license or identification card
The DMV for the past couple years has been moving in this direction, making most transactions doable digitally. Some transactions can be done through DMV business partners like the Auto Club or at one of their 287 kiosks statewide.
The DMV wants their office employees freed up to accommodate those who need a REAL ID (an office visit is required to finalize the process) or who must visit a DMV office for another reasons.
Do you commute to work in the Inland Empire? Spend a lot of time in your vehicle? Have questions about driving, freeways, toll roads or parking? If so, write or call On the Road and we’ll try to answer your questions. Please include your question or issue, name, city of residence, phone number and email address. Write [email protected] or call us at our new phone number, 951-368-9995.
