As if Californians’ mad driving and congested highways weren’t reason enough to worry about traffic safety, a new commercial plan to post ads on road alert signs by state transportation directors could add to the concern. Translation: It’s not legal for motorists to talk on the phone or text while driving, but it’s OK to read ads on the side of the road.
Caltrans, also known as the California Department of Transportation, is proposing the use of road alert signs as a means of displaying commercial advertisements along state and federal highways. The department hopes that the advertisements will provide increased revenue for states. Should the federal department of transportation approve the proposal, other states with road alert signs may follow suit.
While Caltrans plans to bank on the profits made from ads, the agency needs to look more closely at the costs the idea could incur. Ads on road alert signs will not only distract already careless drivers, but will also lead to more costs for individual motorists due to accidents and liability damages that accompany traffic collisions. Moreover, the notion that signs originally meant for public safety may turn into tools for consumerism is cause for worry. Has American consumerism become so overpowering that even road alert signs have to be exploited?
According to an article by USA Today, Caltrans Director Will Kempton wrote in a letter to Transportation Secretary Mary Peters that the proposal could be “a “˜win, win, win’ situation.” He wrote that it would “reduce costs, generate revenue and increase employment.”
Perhaps Caltrans’ idea of expected revenue is not too hard to imagine. When the ads go up, so will the number of accidents on the road. More accidents equals more medical costs, insurance payments, lawyer fees, highway clean-up costs ““ the list goes on and on. So, to properly estimate the revenue to the state: Add the costs, carry the one, add infinity, and we just about recovered the economy! Simple math, really.
Thus, while the revenue aspect of selling ad space on road alert signs appears to be strong at first glance, the “reduce costs” part … not so much.
Furthermore, does the state really need more advertising for commercial goods, especially when it diverts attention from driving? The state originally implemented the road signs to promote safer driving habits by posting, for instance, closed roads or traffic accidents to help drivers maneuver around them. By clogging the road signs with repetitive ads, motorists will eventually come to ignore the signs altogether, regarding them as mere posters rather than acknowledging their primary purpose of displaying essential safety information.
Concern about our consumerist culture will grow when our preoccupation with selling goods and making money (ironically, in an economic period when people have less money to spend) overshadows priorities such as safety.
If we allow such preliminary issues as posting useless information on alert signs (meant for saving lives) to pass, we may slowly lose sight of the purpose behind more important safety regulations.
Maybe the next time you dial 911 and the lines are busy, instead of hearing the busy signal prompting you to retry your call, the police department can arrange to play elevator music ““ or better yet, play audio advertisements of the new McDonald’s Dollar Menu while you freak out during an emergency. Road advertisements telling you that there is a sale at Cal Worthington’s car lot next week are probably not going to help you avoid a collision with the car in front of you. But they might help you buy a car now that you’ve totaled the one you were driving.
If Caltrans hopes to increase profits and help the state economy, it shouldn’t only focus on the revenues to the state department through ads. It should think about the costs individual motorists are likely to incur as a result of its shortsighted plan. Besides, the economy is already messed up enough as it is. No one needs to pay more from their pockets for unnecessary accidents.
Concerned about road advertising jeopardizing your safety? E-mail Tehrani at ntehrani@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.