Advertising signs on street corners are dangerous

Recently I wrote to Central Coast Council to express my strong objection to the increasing placement of electronic advertising signs on posts intended for displaying street names.

When I moved to the Coast over 10 years ago, one of the things I loved about the area was not being constantly bombarded with roadside advertising.

The increasing commercialisation of the area is destroying the values that many residents hold dear.

Roadside advertising signs are a form of visual pollution.

They are also detrimental to road safety – particularly at intersections where the demands on drivers’ attention are increased, and most crashes happen.

Electronic advertising signs are particularly concerning because of characteristics designed to attract attention (e.g. brighter illumination and sometimes movement).

I gather that Council believes that the placement of these advertising signs offers an easy way to make money, but it comes at the cost of community amenity and safety.

The Council replied to my “enquiry regarding illuminated street signs” stating that “the installation of this type of street sign posting has been approved by Council’s Senior Management. The signs offer improved wayfinding particularly at night and have been utilised across the Central Coast LGA for a number of years”.

I wrote to clarify Council’s (wilful?) misinterpretation of my concern: “I am not objecting to the illuminated street signage (which I agree would improve wayfinding) but rather the advertising signs which are increasingly attached to it”.

I reiterated that from a road safety perspective, intersections are one of the worst places to place advertising signs (which serve the very purpose of attracting drivers’ attention).

I have not heard back from Council.

Email, Apr 9
Julie Hatfield, Empire Bay