There is no evidence that billboards increase the risk of road accidents

“There is no evidence that billboards increase the risk of accidents on the roads along which they are situated,” said Joana Vassileva, lawyer of the association of billboard owners. She explained that American experts had studied the relationship between outdoor advertising and traffic accidents and had found no direct correlation. According to the National Statistical Institute, only 1.4% of all victims of road accidents in 2010 were killed in collision with a roadside structure. Statistics, however, do not specify if that roadside structure was a billboard. For comparison, 13.3% of all road death toll was caused as a result of collision with a tree. The position of the organisation was announced in connection with the forthcoming amendments to the Roads Act, stipulating a ban on billboards structures along the roads.

In 2005, the billboards along the national road network were 4,000; their number increased to 7,000 in 2010 and remained unchanged last year. According to NSI, the victims of road accidents were 527 in 2005, 464 - in 2010, and 421 - in 2011. Representatives of the association of billboard owners commented that this demonstrated the lack of correlation between road accidents and the presence of billboards along the roads.

The installation of a billboard costs between BGN 4,000 and BGN 20,000, explained representatives of the organisation. “Representatives of this business paid more than BGN 6 mln in fees last year,” specified Georgi Nankov, Chairman of the association. He commented that this would be only part of the direct losses to the State if the structures were removed. Representatives of the business want to discuss the draft before the voting in Parliament, claiming that it will lead to bankruptcies and thousands of lay-offs. The owners of billboards will assist in making the structures safe where this is necessary. As an immediate measure, the branch suggests installation of reflective marking in order to make the billboards visible at night.

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