One of the clearest indicators of the problem is the extraordinary growth of outdoor advertising.

According to the ESDO study, the number of billboards in Dhaka increased from 9,270 in 2019 to 13,997 in 2022, representing an increase of approximately 51 percent in only four years. (New Age⁠)
The problem becomes more serious with the rapid expansion of digital billboards.

Traditional static signs are already capable of distracting drivers when poorly located. Digital billboards introduce movement, changing images, intense colours and artificial illumination. Their fundamental purpose is to capture attention. But the same attention that advertisers want from drivers is precisely the attention drivers need to keep on the road.
This creates an obvious conflict between commercial visibility and public safety.

A driver approaching an intersection needs to process traffic signals, pedestrians, buses, motorcycles, rickshaws, lane movements, road signs and the actions of other vehicles. Adding a large animated screen to this visual field creates another competing stimulus.

A split-second glance may be harmless in one situation. At a busy intersection, however, that same glance can be enough to miss a pedestrian, traffic signal or suddenly braking vehicle.

Visual distraction can become a road-safety hazard. Road crashes in Dhaka have many causes. Speeding, reckless driving, overtaking, driving under the influence, poorly maintained vehicles, inadequate enforcement, unsafe road design and pedestrian behaviour all contribute to accidents.
Visual pollution should therefore not be presented as the sole cause of road crashes. But neither should it be dismissed.