Make switch to turn off lights, says expert

18 June 2008

Local highway authorities should seize the opportunity to reduce lighting levels where they exceed requirements, a Surveyor/Institution of Lighting Engineers conference will hear this week.

Research carried out by TRL suggests most authorities are not taking advantage of the increased flexibility over reducing lighting levels offered by the European Standard, published in 2004. Geoff Crabb, principal engineer in TRL’s infrastructure division, will tell delegates that the European Standard offers a greater choice, including fainter lighting levels.

This involves a consideration of a greater range of factors than is allowed for by the British Standard, including the complexity of the visual field for motorists, ambient lighting levels, and the difficulty of the navigation task.

The Institution of Lighting Engineers was concerned that, faced with spiralling energy costs, councils would save money on streetlighting simply by switching streetlights off. But the institution wants councils to give more thought to the required lighting levels. It is concerned that, faced with ‘broad-brush’ guidance in the British Standard 5489, councils were not always selecting the optimum levels (Surveyor, 6 December 2007).

Crabb, speaking before the conference, said: ‘Some streets have more lighting than is needed. ‘We’re hoping to show that, by applying existing standards and guidance, there are circumstances where this can be reduced.’

The conference was also due to discuss another research project by TRL for the ILE, which found claims that installing streetlighting generally reduced casualties by 30% could no longer be justified.

Dave Johnson, of the UK Lighting Board, said streetlighting on more lightly-trafficked roads would have to be justified by reference to collision records that lighting would reduce them during the hours of darkness.

There were, however, other justifications for lighting, he acknowledged, such as crime and perception of safety. Also this week, the CSS lighting group was set to endorse a guidance document on minimising the estimated £1.3bn annual cost to the nation of illuminating traffic signs.

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Make switch to turn off lights, says expert

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