Digital signs not a distraction

Editor: I read in the Okanagan Sunday newspaper about the proposed electronic signage for Prospera Place. (Rink wants to install digital signage, page A3).

I believe such signage will have a positive effect.

One thing I noted in the article was a suggestion that the signage would not be a traffic hazard, because it’s on a building wall and not in a freestanding sign, or near an intersection.

This misunderstanding of the alleged dangers of electronic signage is the reason for this letter.

There are no definitive studies showing an increase in driver distraction and accidents as a result of digital signs.

There have been some publications that theorize there could be a rise in accidents, but these assumptions have not been proven.

To the contrary, there have been well-researched studies that showed no statistical increase in accidents.

I’m sending a version of this letter to Kelowna council with a summary of a detailed study conducted by Texas A&M Transportation Institute. You may have noticed there is a digital sign at the hotel at the corner of Abbott and Harvey Ave. There aren’t any more accidents there than elsewhere.

I offer this information to city council so it can better understand electronic signage for this particular discussion and any future decisions around the issue. (Editor’s note: council approved the proposal on Monday.)

If councillors would like any more information regarding on-premise business signage, they can contact me.

Cy Atkinson, Five Star Permits, Okanagan Falls