Renad Ghanem Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Motorists say LED billboards that dot streets all over Jeddah blocking views or blinding eyes pose a potential threat to their safety. Electronic billboards are found on major roads and at traffic intersections in various forms, sizes and shapes. The fundamental aim of these billboards is to catch consumer attention and obviously they will distract the drivers. Advertisements containing long text tend to be more dangerous because drivers may try to read them while passing by. So are bright, colorful ads that definitely divert the attention of the driver away from the road. Ahmad Al-Harbi, a Saudi in his 40s, blamed a car accident he met with recently on a billboard. “The driver behind me crashed into my car on Madinah Road because he was busy reading a telecom company's advertisement placed on a pedestrian bridge. Instead of focusing on the road he was reading the advertisement,” said Al-Harbi. Ahmed Muhammad, a Saudi employee, described a similar experience. A driver who was reading a billboard rear-ended him. Fawaaz Ali, a Syrian national working in the private sector, said he was involved in a traffic accident on King Abdul Aziz Road where a driver coming from the opposite direction ran a red light. He said, “When police asked him why he ran the red light, the man said that he was distracted by the giant TV screen on the corner of the road.” Mustapha Muhammad, a Saudi working in the banking sector, said that billboards on roadsides are highly dangerous, especially for drivers with eye ailments and the elderly. People can get easily distracted and mesmerized by the moving objects on the screen. Abdul Aziz Al-Mahari, an official from the Jeddah municipality, said billboards are placed on street corners in compliance with certain conditions and specifications, and they are not random. He said, “We specify the suitability of locations for billboards, taking into consideration the road conditions and after ensuring that they do not block the motorists' view,” said Al-Mahari. At times the municipality receives complaints about some billboards. In such an event, officials would directly contact the advertising agency in order to remove it or to fix the defect. The municipality also ensures that the text and designs of the advertisements do not break rules of ethics and principles of morality.
