In the past few years, it´s become increasingly clear precisely how dangerous distracted driving could be. Mobile carriers like AT&T have implemented programs to inspire drivers to stay business phones while driving, while Verizon is employed in Washington to drive legislation to obtain tough on these distracted drivers. Yet, while we can control the distractions inside of the vehicle, there´s still the problem of distractions outside of the car. Billboards line the roadways, pushing from hamburgers to surgical weight reduction, alcohol based drinks to DUI lawyers.
According to a recent paper published in Accident Analysis and Prevention by University of Alberta researchers Michelle Chan and Anthony Singhai, these billboards can invoke different emotions in drivers. These emotions may then, consequently, distract us and affect the approach we take to drive.
To test their theory, Chan and Singhai created a test utilizing a driving simulator along with a number of 20 billboards. Each of these billboards contained either negative words, (like cancer, killer, or stress) positive words, (for example beach, cheer or love) or neutral words, like engine, lawn or pencil.
Going into the experiment, Chan believed drivers would only respond to billboards with emotionally charged words, for example those based in the negative or positive category. When the experiment was completed, Chan and Singhai found the 3 kinds of billboards distracted drivers in some manner, but individuals with emotionally charged words distracted drivers the most.
“Any kind of distraction is risky when you´re driving. But there’d seem like larger risk when it comes to emotional stimuli,” said Chan in a statement.
This study has therefore concluded billboards which contain these kinds of emotionally charged words present a larger driving risk to those on the road than neutral billboards.
While taking part in the driving simulation, participants were found to slow down when they saw billboards with either good or bad words. Chan and Singhai believe this slowing down meant the drivers were having some sort of emotional reaction to these billboards. The negative billboards caused the drivers to swerve laterally once they went by. When these drivers passed by billboards with positive language, these were more prone to improve their speed. Chan and Singhai included as well a few billboards with target words. Once the participants passed by these billboards, these were instructed to press a button on the steering wheel. When drivers went by billboards with one of these target words, additionally they increased their speed.
Chan says this test proves drivers have natural reactions to those billboards and, therefore, these ads distract drivers in the task available. She hopes this study will encourage governments to start regulating what can be displayed on a billboard, in addition to encourage marketers to softly pick the kind of language they use of these advertisements. Chan used Australia´s billboard content laws to illustrate the sorts of laws that could be adopted far away.
