The Conroe City Council accepted the donation of two parcels of land for future fire stations, but the gifts came with strings attached – two digital billboards and a water line....
What started as a dispute over a pair of digital billboards in Lawrence has evolved into a battle with broad implications for Marion County. The outcome will answer two key questions: whether billboard companies can plant their lucrative electronic signs here and who gets to decide.
State 11's status as a scenic highway is still intact, although a state committee had some concerns about commercialization along part of the corridor.
South Carolina Scenic Highway Committee members recently reviewed State 11 but didn't think they needed to recommend the corridor lose its scenic designation, said Michael Covington, director of administration for the state Department of Transportation.
The Kerrville City Council has declined to grant relief to the owners of billboards who — under a decades-old initiative aimed at bringing signs into conformation with municipal regulations — must remove or shrink the oversize advertisements...
Digital billboards, the obvious next big wave in outdoor advertising, may be facing a battle, with safety experts saying that the new billboards add yet another distraction for drivers.
While there are currently only about 400 digital billboards across the country, there may be as many as 4,000 within 10 years, according to the Outdoor Advertising Association of America...
Drivers Put 'Sexy' Before Safety On The Road
When questioned, over one third (37 per cent) of motorists admit to being distracted by attractive pedestrians whilst driving, a new study by leading motor insurer Direct Line has found.
Advertising billboards, many of which feature picture-perfect models, also give cause for concern, with one in five motorists (21 per cent) citing them as a major distraction from the road ahead. When faced with an attractive pedestrian or model on an advertising billboard, over half (59 per cent) of drivers admit that they would take a quick glance before returning their full concentration back to the road ahead. Over 900,000 drivers admit to having had an accident as a result of their eyes leaving the road to ogle either attractive passers-by or advertising billboard models since gaining their full driving licence. A further 20 per cent of drivers have had a ‘close shave’ as a result of these roadside distractions. The research revealed that it is men who really struggle to keep their eyes on the road, with 60 per cent admitting to being sidetracked by good-looking pedestrians while driving and nearly a fifth (17 per cent) confessing they ‘could not help but look’. Oh they are such fickle creatures.
In contrast, only 12 per cent of women say that a good-looking pedestrian has caused them to divert their attention from driving.
That is because the rest of us 88 per cent are scouring the road for a decent looking male driving a decent looking car!
Article was published 26 December, 2008, in Female First magazine under the Motoring section and then Motoring News subheading. It was in association of Auto Trader, the United Kingdom Chapter. It has been published in other magazines as well. Direct Line is an international insurance company that offers all types of insurance along with automobile.
Drivers Put 'Sexy' Before Safety On The Road
