Fuentes said the two-year pause would allow state transportation officials to thoroughly consider reports expected during the next year on digital billboards and traffic safety.
The biggest study, by the Federal Highway Administration, is expected to be completed by the end of this year and will use devices measuring eye movement to see how long motorists take their vision off the road when spotting electronic billboards with changing messages, according to Doug Hecox, an agency spokesman.
"The study is intended to find out if these new technology signs do cause any kind of problem," Hecox said.
A separate review of dozens of existing research projects is expected to be released in the next month by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program and is expected to show that some data do raise safety concerns.
"The jury is still out, but there are many people who raise questions about the safety," said Jerry Wachtel, the principal investigator on the project.
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patrick.mcgreevy@ latimes.com
