Almost a quarter of British motorists admit they have been so
distracted by roadside billboards of semi-naked models that they have
dangerously veered out of their lane.
In research released Monday, one in five male drivers said their eyes
were diverted from the road by posters of scantily clad women -- such
as the saucy cleavage shots of model
Eva Herzigova in her notorious adverts for Wonderbra.
However only one in 10 women were put off by the sight of a semi-dressed male model.
Flashing warning signs, huge advertising hoardings and Christmas decorations were also said to be major distractions.
"There is a growing body of concern about the lack of any coherent
strategy for arranging roadside furniture," said Mark Young, an expert
in transport ergonomics from Brunel University.
He said novel advertising could cause a significant risk of distracting
drivers at crucial times, such as going around a difficult roundabout.
"In fact, this risk is probably underestimated and we need to do more
research on the possibility of excluding non-essential information when
the driver is already busy dealing with the road," he said.
The study, by Privilege Insurance, said a 5 second distraction at 60
mph equated to driving at least the length of a soccer pitch without
fully concentrating.