The Detroit News

State lawmakers in the House Great Lakes and Environment Committee are slated later this week to take up legislation imposing a two-year moratorium on digital billboards — signs that have electronic messages or moving words or images. Only digital billboards are singled out for this treatment. The legislation is simply unnecessary.
The argument is that it must be determined if these signs are a distraction to motorists. Under current law, such signs are limited to cities with populations of 35,000 or more.  There are less than 50 in the state, out of approximately 12,000 billboards that dot roads and highways.
The supporters of the bill, such as Scenic Michigan, say the two-year ban is needed until the Federal Highway Administration completes a study of the signs’ safety effects. Their Web site includes citations of studies pointing out the possibility of the signs creating a distraction, but calling for more conclusive research.  The opponents, most notably the trade association for billboard owners, point to a number of studies that have found no safety risks in such signs. They note as well that the state Department of Transportation itself has digital signs posted at various spots along state highways and freeways with messages that can be changed to warn motorists of traffic congestion, accidents or detours.  When such messages aren’t necessary, the state’s electronic signs remind drivers to use their seat belts or slow down in icy or wet conditions on the highways.
The opponents also produce statements from senior law enforcement officers noting the effectiveness of such signs in alerting motorists about fugitive criminals and Amber alerts on missing children.
Finally, they point to the fact that the state has contacted the industry about the availability of such signs to inform motorists of a possible new ban on texting while driving.
There are a number of ironies in the fact that the state operates digital signs itself and is interested in using privately owned digital signs as a driver information tool while lawmakers are contemplating severe limitations on such signs by the private sector.  The placement of such signs is already circumscribed by state law. Unless there is much more conclusive evidence that they pose a safety hazard, it seems premature to single out one kind of billboard for a moratorium.