I understand cell phone distractions as far as reading and typing, looking at or finding a #. It all takes your eyes off the road, and your mind on something other than driving. I don’t do it and am conscious of other drivers to be sure I am safe. That being said, my question is;
Why are companies allowed to advertise on driving vans, trucks, and semis, in a way as to consciously avert our attention?
My recent experience had my attention on a U-Haul truck, it’s full back with a decal looking like it was open and a man standing in the open back!! The seconds it took me to “see”, “notice” and be distracted, had me following it through a light, which changed as the huge van went through and I went through a red light! I was driving on my first day in Culver City Ca., not accustomed to the lights being WAY over to the side of the road, instead of in the middle of the road. I was going 26 mph and a good distance from this driving advertisement, but was distracted enough to not see the light. I believe I would have noticed the light, even where it was and the truck could have caused me to be the cause of an accident! NOT to mention the fact that THE U-Haul went through a red! AND was by nature, a rental, driven most likely by a unprofessional, also! out-of-towner, HUGE, and a distraction. I survived 3 1/2 full weeks of driving, with this being my only faulty driving experience. I Arrived home to get the ticket AND 4 pictures in the mail, then viewed the video online. I am appalled. I truly believe I would not have had a problem w/out the distraction. The distractions should be outlawed!
I can understand your frustration. I am distracted by garage sales and roadside scenery. Gapers delay is another common syndrome. Distractions can never be eliminated, so driver education seems the most feasible .
Yes, driver education is the most feasible. I also believe there should be regulations on driving with ads. The nature of ads are to surprise,grab attention and compete in a market place that is to hypnotize attention. While on a road trip it is expected to see certain things, from choices of eateries, markets, or places to visit. That in itself is expected. The garage sale, accident, road kill, or other attention grabbers are also foreseeable, and you can school with that in mind. It is also reasonable to teach, both hands and eyes on the road, and the student will learn her/his own reactions to certain obstacles to their attention. I wouldn’t want to challenge free speech, just believe adds that are moving, should not be a distraction and regulated in a way, especially ones that are big and block views of anything else.
I agree with waterboy that education is part of the solution. I also believe we have some control over our attention and focus. You seem to have a limited attention span, which, in my view, is just as much of a hazard as the distractions.
Perhaps you should try riding a motorcycle. It might help you focus your attention on the things that matter.
I get distracted by Mexican food restaurants,please say you won’t have them outlawed also.
ha ha, yeah, I get distracted by Mexican food restaurants also. Don’t hurt yourself with worry, I don’t have the power to outlaw anything. Sorry to cause you grief.
Yes, I agree with waterboy too. I don’t believe you can judge me, my attention span or know what ever would matter to me. What are you saying anyway?
I don’t believe you can judge me, my attention span or know what ever would matter to me.
I only went on what you wrote:
The seconds it took me to “see”, “notice” and be distracted, had me following it through a light, which changed as the huge van went through and I went through a red light!
Sorry, but if you can’t maintain enough focus to stop at red lights, you are the problem, not the inanimate object that you chose to focus on instead of the traffic signal. As my grandmother used to say, I calls it as I sees it.
Whatever you do, stay off the Vegas Strip.
To summarize the prevailing sentiment, the OP is the only party responsible for any problems resulting from going through that red light.
Whether someone notices an unusual ad (NOT an “add”) on a truck, or an attractive blonde, or a '37 Bugatti, or a bundle of $100 bills, the bottom line is that a driver’s primary responsibility is to pay attention to traffic conditions, not to specific objects that have nothing to do with the movement of other vehicles.
To blame a graphic display on a truck for one’s inattention to actual vehicular movement is ultimately…disingenuous and unrealistic, or at the very least–very naive. Additionally, the OP’s statement that the add (sic) “blocked the view of everything else” is very revealing. Clearly, the OP was following the truck too closely.
The OP is “appalled” that he/she received a ticket for going through a red light.
I am appalled that we have to share the road with people who can’t focus on traffic conditions, rather than colorful objects, and I am also appalled at this all-too-common failure to believe in the concept of personal responsibility.
I get distracted by lively conversation with my passenger (usually my wife).
Really hard to avoid.
I know in our city when the new LED/LCD ad boards came out they were going to put restrictions on them as far as motion and movement. That must have gone out the window as I regularly see them playing video type ads now. I can see where that would be dangerous if someone decided to watch the ads instead of their driving!
Its not possible to drive anywhere without distractions. Its up to the driver to watch the road and not read the advertisement on the side of the truck
One thread is about too much government, and here is one asking for more government in our lives. Perhaps we need a law to keep other drivers off the road, or to ban spring blooming, or beautiful fall scenery.
Take responsibility, you got distracted, you screwed up, you ran a red light. This isn’t an issue of a U-Haul van, or outdoor advertising. This is your problem, pay attention to your driving. More so, if you are in unfamiliar territory.