Editorial: A bright idea

Thursday, Sept. 6, 2007 | 7:22 a.m.

When it comes to governing the bright lights of this big city, Clark County officials say an existing ordinance banning lights that "blind or dazzle the visions of travelers" may not be specific enough.

As a story in the Las Vegas Sun on Tuesday explains, county officials are working on a new ordinance that would more firmly set brightness standards for the flashing digital billboards that have become a hallmark of the Las Vegas Valley.

Critics told Sun reporter Ed Koch that such bright billboards as Mandalay Bay's flashy marquee along Interstate 15 prove not only distracting but also blinding to motorists and are, therefore, a hazard. They also question whether such billboards create too much light pollution in neighborhoods.

But the county's existing ordinance regarding billboards doesn't set specific brightness standards, and it should, county staffers told the Sun.

A story by USA Today on Wednesday says flashy digital billboards have become increasingly popular across the country - even in cities such as El Paso, Texas, and Milwaukee, Wis. - prompting the Federal Highway Administration to consider regulating them along federally funded highways. The agency will make its proposal after studying how the digital signs affect drivers and traffic safety. Federal officials expect to finish that research by 2009.

Certainly, Las Vegas would hardly be Las Vegas without its colorful, brilliantly lighted signs . The Strip is the U.S. National Scenic Byway s' only nighttime All-American Road because of its spectacular lighted views .

But signs should not be so bright that they adversely affect the atmosphere of neighborhoods, and motorists certainly should not be blinded or distracted by signs that now amount to massive video screens.

Clark County officials must thoroughly study how brightness and certain types of animation affect driver behaviors and craft an ordinance that is specific in establishing safe and acceptable levels of brightness.