Have you ever been driving and suddenly got distracted by a billboard you’ve never seen before? Well, this response is very common among drivers on today’s roads and highways. A recent survey by Privilege Insurance found that 30% of drivers in the UK admitted losing concentration while driving because of a billboard or sign.

Why driver distraction is important

Driver distraction increases the chances of a vehicle accident occurring. It is one of the main underlying causes of car accidents. In fact, driver behavior is cited as one of the four causes of vehicle accidents listed below in order from the most important cause to the least important cause:

1. Driver behavior

2. Poor road maintenance

3. Road design

4. Equipment failure

In fact, more than 95% of car accidents have some degree of driver behavior as part of the cause, even if some or all of the other main causes are involved.

Why a few seconds of inattention are important

We’ve all done it: we momentarily take our eyes off the road. The problem is that sometimes drivers take their eyes off the road for too long or at a crucial point. If a driver is distracted by bright colors or someone in sexy lingerie on a billboard while snorkeling near you, they could end up being the victim of a car accident. The Orlando car accident attorneys Best & Anderson are all too familiar with this scenario.

Also, electronic and mobile billboards with pop-up sections can increase the chances of an accident because people tend to look at them for longer than traditional billboards.

If drivers are distracted for five seconds while traveling at 60 miles per hour, then they are not looking at the road for 100 yards or more (the length of a football field), which is more than enough time for a car accident to occur. .

Even more disturbing, a 2006 study by the University of Nottingham determined that up to 50% of a driver’s time spent on the road may involve paying attention to distractions on the road.

Drivers are even distracted by the myriad of signs that are actually supposed to help them navigate the roads.

This all adds up to a great potential for car accidents to occur.

The Phenomenon of “Freeway Hypnosis”

Some people may claim that billboards help relieve boredom for drivers on long road trips. This would be a positive benefit for billboards. However, a counter argument to this idea is the phenomenon of “highway hypnosis.” This is so called because when you drive on a flat, straight section of road, you go into an almost trance-like state due to the monotony of everything looking so similar. Drivers may end up spotting a billboard that seems to appear out of nowhere during their “hypnosis” and end up causing an accident.

Privilege Insurance found that in the UK, road distractions affected 83% of UK drivers. That number can surely apply to drivers from the United States as well.

This is an alarming statistic because it validates what we already suspect: Being inundated by signs and billboards while driving on the highway can distract us while driving. In fact, there’s even a sign that says, “Keep your eyes on the road and stop reading these signs.”