Billboards: Smart or Simply Distracting?

As I was aimlessly driving around this weekend, I couldn’t help but notice all of the billboards along the side of the road. These displayed advertisements for anything and everything, such as beer (the most common), grocery stores, automobiles, hospitals, and safety. They projected a different message, yet each had one thing in common: the billboards were being used to relay a message to the masses. It is a wise method of advertisement considering the number of people who view these roadside decorations on a daily basis. Whether it is a public safety warning stating “Click it or Ticket” or a brief listing of the reasons to buy Toyota’s 2007 4Runner, they were eye-catching and possibly persuasive.
Yet, the longer I drove, the more I found myself trying to read all the billboards, which became extremely distracting. Although I concluded that this is a wise source of advertisement, I also decided, it could potentially be the most dangerous. The billboards are so attractive and draw in so much attention from people who are supposed to be focusing on driving. Unfortunately, many people are easily distracted and these massive colorful signs are the perfect thing to divert their attention to.
I strongly agree that billboards are a great source of mass media. They are extremely eye-catching, which is very distracting. Therefore, I must ask which is more important: relaying an easily forgotten message, or keeping our protecting our lives by focusing on the road?