Signs of distraction on Route 1
Sussex planning and zoning commissioners have yet to make a recommendation about whether digital signs should be allowed on property not associated with a specific business.
The issue is set to come before Sussex County Council Tuesday, Feb. 7, when a hearing has been scheduled.
The question comes down to whether Sussex County should allow digital billboards.
Digital signs on commercial properties were approved a few years ago; anyone wondering whether they are distracting to drivers has only to drive along Route 1 at night.
There are now dozens of signs with changing messages in the Route 1 corridor. Recently, in addition to flashing a changing message, the signs have also become brighter and brighter, all in an effort to attract attention away from the roadway and toward the business that’s advertising.
One sign just south of the Nassau bridge is so bright it can be momentarily blinding to drivers coming from the darker, relatively signless roadway to the north.
Signs with moving messages are permitted in commercial districts and are limited in size and placement. Yet as the signs proliferate, sign owners compete to make their signs the most noticeable. It’s only a matter of time before the Route 1 corridor is lined with signs so intensely bright the roadway itself appears dark.
The existing signs have done nothing to improve the safety or appearance of Route 1. Before one more sign is permitted, council should amend the ordinance, which already limits how fast the signs can change, to also control their brightness.
The existing signs are distracting enough. Allowing larger, digital billboards will only accelerate the race for brighter, even more distracting signs.
When it comes to safety, the last thing county officials should allow is more distractions for drivers.
Beyond that, visitors flock to our area in part because the Cape Region still offers a slower, quieter quality of life. Sussex County Council should protect our small-town charm by saying no to digital billboards.
