A few days ago I was driving on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in a daylight downpour. Black clouds hung low and visibility was poor. Windshield wipers flashed furiously. Passing cars and trucks kicked up jet streams of rain water. Then I noticed a series of bright, crisp, digital billboards flashing display ads. The dark, misty highway made the digital boards hard to ignore. They are also visible from a greater distance. You notice them sooner. Which of course is the point of outdoor advertising.

But I thought, this seems like another form of distracted driving. I kept glancing over at the signs, curious about what they would show next; also I was drawn to their glaring brightness, and sometimes my sideways glances last longer if I tried to make out the small words in the message.