Digital Billboards and Road Safety: How can we best assess the risk?

EXTENDED ABSTRACT: There has been a long standing concern about the distracting effect of roadside advertising and its potential negative effect on road safety. In recent years this concern has been further amplified by the introduction of digital technology for billboard displays. This paper outlines a practical and defensible approach to assessing the safety risk associated with digital billboards based on the approach outlined in AP-R420-13 (Austroads, 2013). The assessment process will be illustrated by reference to examples and case studies.