In this digital age, it sometimes feels like we can't escape ads, from the commercials on our screens to the pop-ups on social media. And it seems we can't even get a moment away — not even on the road.
In the subreddit r/A******design, one Redditor shared an image of a distracting semitruck on the road. In the picture taken from another vehicle, we can see the back of a truck displaying a digital ad on the left side of the door.Â
The caption of the photo reads: "Digital ad displays on the back of big rigs. One of the displays said to 'Keep your eyes on the road, not on your phone' [while] switching between ads on the back of the truck."
It's not the first digital ad seen on the road, with some trucks even displaying ads on all sides.Â
In this case, the sad irony of the ad prompting drivers to stay off their phones was not lost on other Redditors. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, thousands of people died as a result of distracted driving in 2021.Â
"This looks like something out of a Black Mirror episode," commented one user.
With an increasingly competitive business landscape, companies appear to be leaning toward aggressive marketing techniques to get ahead.Â
A Google search for "digital ads on trucks" leads to countless businesses promoting the product. This has led many drivers to witness these new headaches on the roads, and the sentiment is normally the same: "How is this legal?"
Unfortunately, these digital ads are here for now and, in addition to being a possible hazard, potentially encourage overconsumption of goods, which leads to further environmental pollution.Â
"No. no no. This needs to be illegal immediately," commented one user, sharing the same sentiment of others.
"Legally, these shouldn't display anything unless the truck is at a complete standstill," wrote another Redditor. "Morally these shouldn't exist at all."Â
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