We the signed, call on the Province of British Columbia to ban the use of campaign signs on Ministry of Transportation land, including along highways, as they provide a clear danger to drivers that can result in numerous car crashes and traffic fatalities.

An Israeli study showed that the removal of billboards on the Ayalon highway led to a reduction in car accidents. (See "resources" at the bottom of this page).

A study found that a roadside sign campaign designed to increase awareness about traffic fatalities in Texas, actually caused an increase in car crashes. (See "resources")

Another study showed: "The driving simulator experiment presented here examines the effects of billboards on drivers, including older and inexperienced drivers who may be more vulnerable to distractions. The presence of billboards changed drivers' patterns of visual attention, increased the amount of time needed for drivers to respond to road signs, and increased the number of errors in this driving task." (See "resources")

Distracted driving is a major killer in British Columbia.  In fact: "distracted driving is a factor in 40 per cent of police-reported crashes and contributes to almost 80 deaths in the province annually, according to the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC)" (Source: CBC)

Why then does the province continue this double standard of allowing campaign signs on its MOT land, when in ordinary circumstances signs are banned for numerous reasons on such land, especially due to the danger it poses to traffic.  If signs are dangerous under ordinary circumstances, do they stop being dangerous, just because it's an election season?  Of course not, yet by allowing dangerous campaign signs along highways during election campaigns the province is acting as if it is the case, even though it knows that it isn't and that this is unsafe.

What is the point of election billboards along highways?  Election billboards are hardly known to inspire critical thinking and a driver's cognitive tasks should be focused on driving safely.

When contacted on the issue of campaign signs along highways/MOT land, an employee from the Ministry of Transportation wrote: " anything along the side of a road, can result in the driver’s attention being shifted which may be dangerous."

We the signed ask the Province of B.C., to end wasteful electioneering along highways/MOT land.  It is not worth a single human life.

Contacts: 

Please call and/or write to BC Premier David Eby (Premier@gov.bc.ca 250-387-1715) and Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Rob Fleming (rob.fleming.mla@leg.bc.ca 250-356-5013), to ask them to do the right thing by banning campaign signs along highways/MOT land.

Resources:

Roadside safety messages increase crashes by distracting drivers - University of Toronto Transportation Research Institute (utoronto.ca)

Roadside safety messages increase crashes by distracting drivers (theconversation.com)

Microsoft Word - Zaidel_et_al_Billboard_study_abstract (scenic.org)
Influence of Billboards on Driving Behaviour and Road Safety
Gitelman V., Zaidel D., Doveh E.
Haifa, April 2010

Effects of advertising billboards during simulated driving
May 2011
Applied Ergonomics 
Pubmed
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/46413392_Effects_of_advertising_billboards_during_simulated_driving

Confused about B.C.'s rules for distracted driving? So is ICBC | CBC News

Note: Exceptions could be made under exceptional circumstances, e.g. if MOT land is not on a highway in a small town that has no other place to put campaign signs.  The exceptions would require the small town to request an exemption from the government for that specific reason.  Otherwise, this situation of allowing campaign signs on MOT/Highways is completely unacceptable.

Photo credit: NettoFigueiredo 

For more information please contact BCPetition@mail.com