Digital Signs in School Zones: Because Kids Aren't Distracting Enough?

In what can only be described as a masterclass in questionable priorities, the City of Reno and Washoe County School District appear poised to introduce digital billboards in school zones dependent on the City of Reno sign ordinance—you know, those areas where drivers are specifically instructed to exercise maximum caution and minimum speed.

Because apparently what drivers navigating through crowds of unpredictable children at 15 mph really need is something else competing for their attention.

Has anyone in a position of authority bothered to ask whether flashing digital messages might pull drivers' eyes away from, oh, I don't know... the CHILDREN crossing the street? The irony is almost too perfect: "Please drive carefully around our students! Also, check out this bright, flashing advertisement while you do!"

When reached for comment about safety studies conducted prior to this brilliant innovation, officials were suspiciously vague. Has the school district commissioned any research on driver distraction rates when digital signs are placed in high-sensitivity areas? Have they examined potential correlations between digital billboards and pedestrian accidents? Have they consulted with safety experts specifically about school zones?

The silence is deafening—and potentially dangerous.

In areas where children's safety should be the paramount concern, introducing a known driver distraction seems counterintuitive at best and negligent at worst. While the rest of the country debates whether cellphones should be banned while driving, Reno seems determined to create its own government-sanctioned distractions.

Perhaps the next brilliant initiative will be installing strobe lights at crosswalks or hiring clowns to juggle next to stop signs.

If no comprehensive safety study has been conducted—and all evidence points to this being the case—then our children are essentially being used as unwitting participants in a real-world experiment. The hypothesis appears to be: "Let's see if drivers can simultaneously watch for darting children AND process digital advertising without causing bodily harm."

Here's a radical thought: maybe school zones should be minimally distracting environments focused solely on getting children safely to and from school. Just a suggestion from those of us who think a child's safety might be slightly more important than whatever urgent message these digital boards are designed to convey.

But what do we know? We want to hear from the parents whose children will be walking past these monuments to mixed priorities.