It’s happened to all of us, you’re driving along a highway or main road in the city at night, and suddenly you’re blinded by a blaze of light. No, Putin hasn’t pushed the button and that’s not a nuclear bomb flash, you’re looking at an electronic billboard – a giant display screen playing ads on loop.
Ubiquitous on Malaysian roads in the Klang Valley, electronic billboards are a form of revenue for the highway concessionaire. Stuck in traffic jams as most drivers are, advertisers have a captive audience for as long as the car takes to shuffle past.
But do electronic billboards pose a hazard to driving, especially at night and in rainy conditions when the diffusion caused by raindrops intensifies the glare? To this end, paultan.org set out to find if electronic billboards are in fact too bright at night and pose a distraction to driving.
First, what do the regulations say?
For Malaysia, outdoor billboard advertising is governed by the Local Government Act 1976 and the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974, along with relevant by-laws and regulations in the district council. Regulations state electronic billboards are only allowed to be active between 6.00 am and 1.00 am daily.
Additionally, there is a restriction for how bright a billboard is allowed to be at night, with the degree of luminescence measured by a lux meter. From the Public Works Department (JKR) listing for billboard brightness, the regulations are based on criteria issued by the UK Institution of Lighting Engineers with approval for the signboard coming from both JKR and TNB.
In the measuring criteria, it is stated an electronic LED billboard or display can have a maximum permissible luminance of 600 cd/m2 at night for an illuminated area of less than 10 square meters, and 300 cd/m2 for billboards measuring over 10 square meters. The numbers drop to 400 cd/m2 and 200 cd/m2 respectively at night for billboards larger than 10 square meters on rural roads. Anyway, the important number for us here is 300 cd/m2 for large billboards, within city limits.
How do we measure “brightness”?
If you’re wondering what the units mean, cd/m2 is candela steradian per square metre, defined as a unit of illuminance and luminous emittance. For the purpose of our study, we used a calibrated lux meter, which measures illuminance in lux or lumen per square metre, and by fortuitous coincidence, one cd/m2 is equivalent to one lux. For easier understanding, we will be using cd/m2 from this point on, as per the legal limits.
Thus suitably equipped, paultan.org set out on the roads and highways of Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya and the Federal Highway, stopping at selected locations where an electronic billboard was casting its light on the road. Since the measurements were taken at midnight, stray illumination from other sources, such as car headlights or buildings, was kept to a minimum while ambient conditions were slightly cloudy.
Readings were taken from five locations – on the LDP at Kelana Jaya station eastbound, on Jalan Maarof at Bangsar Village as well as at Bangsar Shopping Centre, on the Sprint Highway at the Section 17 intersection and at the Sheraton Petaling Jaya on Jalan Utara. Measurement specs call for readings to be taken a metre away, but as we don’t have access to do so, our readings were taken from a standing position as close as we could get to the billboard, typically around 20 to 30 metres away.
Actual findings – brighter than our future!
In Bangsar, readings of 170 and 207 cd/m2 were taken for Bangsar at Bangsar Village and Jalan Maarof, respectively. During measurement, it was noticed the colour and graphics displayed on screen had a significant impact on the light reading (white-based ads give higher numbers) and we opted to only record the maximum value during testing.
At the Sprint Section 17 intersection, a maximum value of 184 cd/m2 was recorded. It must be noted while the reading fell just inside the regulations, standing in front of the billboard as the brightest advertisements were displayed was enough to send Patrick’s, our photographer, camera metering into spasms.
The physical effect was almost bright enough to hurt and very much an annoyance at best. However, these are subjective perceptions and will differ from person to person. Or, as Patrick said, “maybe old people see the light differently.”
Moving along to Petaling Jaya, we stopped at Sheraton PJ, where there was a billboard bright enough to actually cast shadows. We took measurements, ending up up with a surprisingly low reading of 134.7 cd/m2.
Certainly bright, but Mick had earlier suggested there was a certain billboard along the LDP in Kelana Jaya that was bright enough to rival the sun. And thus, it was, where we recorded a scarcely believable reading of 277 cd/m2.
What conclusions can we draw from the measurements taken of the electronic billboards we visited? For one thing, the level of illumination overall is highly dependant on the advertisement, based on the colours and graphics used with white and yellow recording high values.
So, are they legal or illegal?
While yes, all the billboards recorded values inside the allowable limits, these numbers were taken a fair distance away from the actual displays. Had we taken them from a metre away as per the regulations, we are very sure all of them would shoot way past 300 cd/m2. As it is, the Kelana Jaya screen was already measured at 277 cd/m2 from around 30 metres away. From one metre, the number would be sky high!
Even putting raw numbers aside, it’s clear as day (pun very much intended) that driving along in a car, the amount of illumination was certainly bright enough to cause a distraction and momentarily blind the driver. As far as we can measure, a few of them are definitely illegal, and with our own eyes we struggle to believe that they should be allowed at all.
What do you think of our findings? If you’re a driver in and around the Klang Valley, leave a reply below with locations were you feel the luminance of the electronic billboard is too bright.
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I believe all billboards come with day and night mode where night mode being dimmer. It just that the installer/administrator too lazy to configure it.
We live in new Malaysia!
The authorities wont do anything,until there is a huge accident traced to the shit maintained bill boards which blinded the vision of motorists.
Tell us,how many billboard dudes have been hauled up for “GLARING OVERLIGHTING ” ? PRACTICALLY NONE.
I reported so many times for LDP. The local council complaining and reporting mechanism is useless. No matter how many times reported it will happen again. I very curious the neighboring house not concern? Do it have to until someone die only they take action?
good question, look at all those white lamp installed on like 50% of car on the roads, everyone is a jackass in malaysia
Most are too bright at night, definitely impact drivers . I did see a few are dimmed at night.
Definitely inviting more accident.. Even some under bridge spotlight on the opposite of the road is sometimes giving a momentary blind.
Very good that you guys decided to do some empirical testing. It is almost a certainty some displays are uncomfortably bright and annoying and being a significant distraction to motorists. Hope the authorities take action.
If i want bright lights at night, I’d switch on my cabin light all the time.
not only are they too bright, some have too much information which will trigger the curiosity of people and might cause an accident
As someone who is working in this industry, we have insisted our clients not to max brightness on our displays. More often than not our advice is ignored.
If we give a display that is set to a reasonable brightness, then they complain and say they’re not impressed with the quality because the display next door is so much brighter.
A lot of these electronic billboards will pay for themselves once they get advertisers money – how do you get advertisers money? With a high traffic location and setting the brightness so ridiculously high that it “stands out” from others.
We try our best to follow the guidelines set by the city councils when installing the displays and we insist customers to set an acceptable brightness to increase the lifespan of the displays but most of them don’t care. They just want the advertiser money.
boo, shame on you. you are part of the problem
Lmao just send a complain to your council then. The logo and contact is under the screen by law
What they do with their displays after we leave is not our responsibility. You’re like saying car manufacturers should be held responsible if their buyers were caught speeding.
its not really the same.
in a car, the driver goes fast.
but in this situation, they buy the car, but you drive it fast for them.
thank you for revealing the inside story, kariayam
This all problem can be easily solved by the manufacturer by setting the maximum brightness (follow the law) before producing and selling the display.
This is like asking the car manufacturers not to produce engines which can go faster than the National speed limit.
They are not ‘guidelines’ by regulations. Adhering to the regulations is not optional, it is mandatory. This should be made clear to your clients. Also, I don’t think it is beyond the wit of man to configure the billboards so that its maximum brightness does not exceed the limit set by law. The safety of road users should be of paramount consideration.
I think what Kariayam is saying is he/she works as a manufacturer for the displays. After the display is sold to the client (some of the id*ots who ignore the rules for THEIR own clients), it is not Kariayam’s issue anymore.
3 people in the picture here : (Kariayam Display Manufacturer -> Display Buyer a.k.a. ‘The-id*ots’ Display Ad provider -> Clients).
We need to enforce and punish the ones running the displays at such bright lumens.
Many are too bright and distracting. Not sure if there is any law, and if there is, if it’s being enforced. The point is, when they are too bright you tend to look away, and you may take your eyes away from the road, leading to an accident. This should come under the purview of NIOSH
Otherside, should concessionaire awarded with compensation when they already have side income?
There’s that one near Icon City LDP / by the suspension bridge above Federal Highway. Every morning drive to work in the early mornings is painful to the eyes.
Zero enforcement by DBKL/MBPJ/whatever majlis bandaraya. Makan gaji buta after collecting advertising license.
The kelana LRT one is famous for being super bright
Yes, yes, and yes again for the kelana jaya (football field) billboard. Many reports lodged into MBPJ website on this brighter than my future billboard at night featuring epilepsy causing flashing lights, didn’t yield any action taken at all. Just occasionally nature does its job by striking it with a nice bolt of lightning during storms seem to give it a few days of malfunction.
Pray for more frequent lightning strikes..
Thanks for making aware about this issue. Hopefully the authorities does read and make some changes to correct it.
They knew already but no action.
The one beside US embassy is super bright, can even see your future
Brighter than our future..LOL good one Mr.Mohan
I’m glad paultan is highlighting this issue. I remember once JPJ wanted to remove screens from cars because it can be distracting but I believe these billboards are worst.
Government should also regulate the visual aspects like not having a bright white background , not too much motion, subtle animations and no flashes that could affect some people. The one at the jalan Tun Razak underpass near tabung Haji, sometimes it seems like someone is flashing from my rear view mirror… Jalan Raja Chulan, opposite LTAT is also too bright.
Along Jalan Kuala Selangor, at the LDP-Kepong intersection, the billboard is so bright at night that it is an annoyance to the residence living in the condominium across from it in Bandar Sri Damansara. Driving on the ldp towards SS2 from Bandar Utama, you can see that there’s 3-4 large electronic billboards facing the Residence’s Condo at 3Damansara. The entire building is lit up by the amount of lights from all those billboards it’s insane! Especially at 6am when they turn the billboards on at maximum intensity!!
Agree. Once I almost run over a slow riding motorcyclist caused by blinding effects of the billboard
Yes, there’s 1 in Taman Bukit Maluri as you come from Batu Caves using MRR2. I almost hit the divider.
Whilst I agree these billboards can be blinding at night, there’s none are more serious than oncoming vehicles with extremely bright led lights that momentarily blinds you.
Yes! I was thinking the same as I read the article. There are obviously more and more vehicles with ridiculously bright lights that are soo annoying and make those at the front feel super anxious.
Please test it near KLCC /Bangunan Getah…crazy bright!
Yes, the billboard is super bright. During day time, it is acceptable since surrounding are bright as well.
But at night, the brightness should be reduced by at least 50%, it is just a matter of time before someone got into car accident due to the ultra flashy billboard light.
The one at the traffic junction of Bandar Utama above Sprint Highway is super bright at night.
Glad that someone actually did a test and share the outcome.
Good thing is all billboards are stationary, unlike many illegal xenon/LED that blind you like there is no tomorrow. Problem is they are closing in from your rear at 120km/h.
Please ban billboards completely, go to Germany you don’t see them along their highways
Check out the many blazing LED buildboards at night, before reaching the Damansara Jaya Toll. If it is not a road safety hazard, I don’t know what is!
KKay
They are a complete nuisance especially at night. Ignorantly they have their settings probably the same day and night. While daytime it’ll be fine, night time it’ll be a danger.
You should check how often accidents occur at those locations
Thank you for this article. I agree completely that they are too bright. When we are driving home after long hours facing the laptop/hp screen all day, overly bright billboards are so invasive. If you are stopped at the traffic light waiting for it to turn green, the flashing lights really, really, really hurt the eyes.
I was just blinded by the billboard along Jalan Kuching right next to Sri Putramas 1 condominium. Curious if it bothers the residents with its flashing lights and close proximity to their house. Please test it I believe you can get quite close to that one.
Will RTD take responsibility to carry out an onsite measurement to settle this matter once and for all? After all, we are discussing road safety here!
Generally traffic users get momentary blindness
Sir, we have a greater problem. Cars fitted with led lights and they drive on high beam all the way not caring for the visibility and safety of the oncoming cars. But, kudos to you for highlighting the miseries these lights cause drivers on city highways. Aren’t the local authorities who approve this responsible ???
It’s not exactly a billboard but it’s an electronic marketing board put up by Quayside Mall near Kota Kemuning. Bright AF might as well not turn it on because who can read anything on it if it’s that bright!
Certainly too bright and blinding. Just try driving into Damansara from the NKVE at 6.30am and you’ll know what I mean. It definitely isn’t the heavenly lights there
Most of these electronic billboards are now more of a nuisance than anything of value to the eyes of the motorists…
Typical Malaysia law enforcement, wait until somebody dies due to this road hazard then only want to take action. Thank you paultan for bringing this up.
Councils are approving way too many billboards. Are we supposed to be driving and paying
attention to the road or distracting billboards? I had a short stint in this industry and the selling point was when people get stuck in traffic they will look at billboards as there’s nothing else to do in traffic. I disagreed because I think drivers with common sense would be looking in front so as not to hit the car in front.
But yes the one along LDP and another one on Fed Hwy near the golf course are way too bright to the point it pierces the eyes. Billboards are distracting, an eye sore and there are just too many of them.
Good job on the accuracy testing Mohan. But tbh we didn’t need that to know they’re just too damn bright!
These electronic billboards are a distraction to drivers. Like in the west are not allowed. Here, it should be banned.
These electronic billboards are a distraction to drivers. Like in the west are not allowed. Here, it should be banned.
To me advert billboards shouldn’t be allowed at all along roads and highways because they are just visual pollutants that marred the natural sceneries of our country.
Verygood finding. Very true this bright advertisement disturb driving at night that can cause accidents. Beside that, having to many add board next to road is also dengerous as it take the driver attention while driving. Government should look into this matter seriously.
Verygood finding. Very true this bright advertisement disturb driving at night that can cause accidents. Beside that, having to many add board next to road is also dangerous as it take the driver attention while driving. Government should look into this matter seriously.
Please test the one in KLIA, definitely is brighter than the limit
There is one more very important elements in the LED ads safety that not in the regulations… The frequency of flash strobe in ads video… Flash strobe lights can triggered headaches and migraine just by few seconds of having the visual in sight… You dont need to directly look at the flash strobe, all it takes is just the strobes are in you eye sight for few seconds is enough to trigger migraine… Also the amount of blue light will cause the driver experienced bad sleeping night later… Especially those advertising are now getting more and more moving action, this also causing high distraction during driving…
I have seen many ads that has short video with tons of flashing effect to gain attraction.
The regulation should be update to making sure the safety of the road user as priority…
Contain of the ads must not have more than 30% movement.
Ads must not have flash strobe or any kind of similar effect. (Exploding bubble to indicate sales 70%, spinning effect, zoom in zoom out effect, scrolling effect, etc)
Ads must use less blue LED lights (more yellowish ads than white or any color that heavily using blue light) more Red and Green, less Blue…)
Then how important it would be for the vehicles audio player displayed lcd screen. Now many are replacing to the Android types. As much seriousness for billboard so to be inside the car ambience
Then how important it would be for the vehicles audio player displayed lcd screen. Now, many are replacing the Android types. As much seriousness for billboard so to be inside the car ambience
These birghtly lit billboards contribute to acute light pollution that affect the value of the neighbourhoods. They also disrupt the eyes of drivers when they are driving at night. The eye needs time to adjust to the low light of night driving and these billboards can cause temporary blind spots and makes driving at night more stressful evewn dangerous.
1. Mostly impact the driver.
2. Too many and not GREEN at all.
Thank you for testing brightness. It is indeed an issue.
What is even more important and has possibly not been studied is the distraction factor. Human eyes track movement. We will naturally look towards movement. Advertisers know this! Ads are designed to have attention grabbing colours and movement. This is directly competing for the attention of the driver which should be on the road, other vehicles, pedestrians or unexpected obstacles.
Static images like a slide show may be allowable but video billboards are inappropriate.
Please check infront of petronas klia2 that eboard 1000%! Bright .. Guy who will understand who have go klia sure saw it
I’m more concern of those driver who keep using high beam just because they had “rabun ayam”. And yes, even they own automatic headlight they still use the high beam.
What about the cars with hid lights? Why are those with hid or projection lamps that turn on their high beams allowed to do so as it causes a migraine and temporary blindness to other road users?
Why are those with hid or projection lamps that turn on their high beams allowed to do so as it causes a migraine and temporary blindness to other road users?
Well done on the testing and lets have more in future. I remember when jeffooi.com had lots of testing articles also related to motor industry, sadly those days are long gone.
To compensate for lack of street lighting
more research need to be done to see whether the screen advertisement cause any anxiety or photo sensative issues for the road users. From my own experience blue cyan, yellow, and white are annoying and disturbing.
At least some one bring up the issue of the billboard too bright that affecting the drivers. The same issue of LED lights installed almost every cars now. All this brightness affecting the driver. Are there legal to installed All this? The authority please comment All this issues.
Definitely too bright in my opinion.
Its too bright. Plus its a hazard especially when these billboards are placed near traffic lights. Imagine seeing blazing bright light near a busy junction and getting confused by whether it’s the traffic light or the billboard. The worst ads are the one with flashing transition fx. I can’t believe there’s no law against this. Tq paultan for this piece.
Thank you for bringing this up. It has been a nuisance for the longest time and I’m glad it’s being highlighted.
Big thanks for highlighting this! I often have to use my left hand to shield my eyes when I approached the said Section 17 billboard at night due to its blinding, in-your-face advertisements!
We are bombarded by bright signboards in front of us and motorists, who for some reasons, drive using their high beams at night. If they are behind you, you will tet to switch lane to get out of the annoying glare. This may cause accidents too. Maybe can also do a research as to why they drive this way. Maybe they are not aware that they are on high beam? Can’t see properly at night? They just sent their car to the workshop and the mechanics switched the light to high beam or they are plain selfish drivers?
Yes, its way too bright.
I was on my way to OU around 830pm. The board at LDP KJ turns white, and it shocked me. Luckily that time the car is slow down / stop because of traffic. I can literally see the people in the front car startled and start covering their face. It can cause accident for sure.
Not only at night..day time also the screen too bright. I need to avoid to have direct eye contact with the screen everytime i drove at NPE exit from Federal Highway.
We live in the city centre right above bright billboards and the light pollution at night is too much light lightning flashes pierce your eyes past midnight.
I use the LDP daily as I live in the vicinity. I’ve been waiting for an article like this to pop-up. The illumination is too high and distracting when driving at night, especially when it’s raining. Must say, this a hazard and needs to be addressed urgently, before someone losses their life on the pretext of advertorial profits. There is a reason why we don’t have bright white lights at the rear end of a vehicle.
If I am ever involved in an accident and such a billboard was in the line of sight of either me or anyone else involved in said accident, I would take legal action against the owner/operator of the billboard, the agency running the ad campaign, the company whose product or service is being advertised as well as every authority involved in approving the billboard. I would encourage anyone reading this to take note and do the same. Litigation is one of the surest ways to ensure that things are done properly and with due care and concern for society and the public at large.
Please put up a billboard on the dark road where animals cross the road.
When came into power they took down all billboards, they explained it gives no value to rakyat…
10 years later they put up more than before and endangering people…
The same group is silent….
Change they say…
Yes. I drive along LDP Kelana Jaya every 6.45 am and find the brightness of the billboard annoyingly painful to my eyes. I hope the authorities will do something about this. Pls do something before anything untoward happens.
I totally agree with your findings. The HUGE billboards are a distraction in it of itself. Then add the glaring lights, it is just painful to drivers’ eyesight. Consideration should be made for road users safety NOT about the bottom line….in Msia it’s all about making money, right?
Yes the ones along jalan bangsar on LRT pillars are too bright. DBKL enforcers are as usual sleeping on the job.
jalan kampung pandan traffic light, berjaya times square on ur left, go straight to sungei wang, billboard on ur right.
at night that billboard is a second sun
I actually faced this issue a few days ago otw to KLIA as it gets closer to the airport. Passed a really bright yellow overhead ad that practically blinded me as I was driving past. I was thinking how dangerous it would be for someone who was potentially speeding or who may not have good eyesight.
I wonder does this implement to police escort light or the light above the sedans…. its just so bright and flash right into the eyes at night…so irritating
You should test the billboards before KLIA – blindingly bright compared to surrounding streetlighting. Could be brightest in M’sia. Great for daylight viewing but extremely dangerous for night time.
Wait a miinute
the distance to the light source is important when measuring brightness because the intensity of the light decreases as the distance from the light source increases. The relationship between the intensity of light and the distance from the light source is often described by the inverse-square law, which states that the intensity of light is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the light source. This means that if you double the distance from a light source, the intensity of the light will be reduced to one-fourth of its original value.
Does the spec mention any distance for measurement to take place?
The distance is referenced in ILP’s PLG 05 document. We explained in the story but I will summarise it again here. We could not get close enough to the correct measuring distance. However, since some numbers went close to failing even from so far away, they must be failing at the correct distance. This is more to get the authorities attention for them to go check.
What’s the distance?
It is common sense that these over-bright lights can hurts human’s eyes, those related departments or the creator should take the responsibility but they dont care, because they themselves did not use or passby that particular road, so inhuman and heartless with pocketful of money they are.
Come on guys, why make noise! All the issues won’t solved. You want the authorities take action, issue fines? Who do you think fund all these parties? Who appointed as Councillors in our local council? Just be quiet, monkey vote monkey, gets monkey… Lol
they should have auto brightness function right?
once on federal hw from PJ towards klang direction, there were these advertisement that is coloured and super bright. It was raining so visibility already poor, and that blardy billboard lit up my entire windscreen. How to see anything???
Why not start a petition to Ban electronic Bill boards. Why is it always about Money and not Safety n Health. In Europe you will not see such glaring billbords on highways. What about noise pollution by cars and motorbikes ..another 3rd world issue. Our councils are basically dumbose goyang kaki bodekers….
thanks mohan – keep it up – i’ve been reporting those billboards near DJ to MPBJ with good results
Junction of Brickfields & KL Sentral on Damansara Highway..billboard installed above Sonali Showroom
You should try visiting Jalan Kuching from the direction of Jinjang roundabout towards Segambut roundabout near Sri Putramas condo. How DBKL can approve this is beyond my thinking.
I am more than glad to share with you videos that I shot before you visit this place. I think this is a health hazard to people living there. That includes me. At night I sometimes have to draw my curtain to prevent the bright lights from getting into my room.
Contact me if you want to see the videos.
I m glad to see this article, that someone measure these. As a regular user on LDP, the Kelana Jaya billboard definitely is very blinding when driving on it. It’s akin to driving against oncoming headlights on high beam.
Hello. And Bye.
Hello. And Bye.
It’s not just too bright for drivers, it’s a major annoyance for people who live in apartments near the billboards too. The Amcorp mall billboard light is actually reflected on the wall in my baby’s room and it might even make changing curtains necessary cos it’s until 1am which is ridiculous.