Why Do We Need Street Lights?

A street light, light pole, lamppost, street lamp, light standard or lamp standard is a raised source of light on the edge of a road or path. When urban electric power distribution became ubiquitous in developed countries in the 20th century, lights for urban streets followed, or sometimes led.

Many lamps have light-sensitive photocells that activate the lamp automatically when needed, at times when there is little to no ambient light, such as at dusk, dawn, or at the onset of dark weather conditions. This function in older lighting systems could be performed with the aid of a solar dial. Many street light systems are being connected underground instead of wiring from one utility post to another.

Why do we need street lights?

1 Providing safety to citizens

Safety is the essential advantage of lighting. By illuminating roads, parks and other public spaces, we reduce the risks of accidents and injuries. Lighting is especially important for driving in the night. Whether driving on the motorway or in residential areas, good lighting improves visibility and minimises the risk of accidents. With a growing number of people in urban areas opting for sustainable modes of transportation, cycling has become extremely popular. It is an added necessity to ensure that we are able to ensure the safety of cyclists. Well-lit public spaces also provide pedestrians the much needed sense of security to step out after sundown.

2 Reducing crime rate

People working in night shifts, students finishing up late in the night at university, happy-go-lucky walking back home after a night out are all subject to the risk of crime and violence. While there are many measures taken to ensure pedestrian safety, it is quite natural for people to feel uncomfortable if the lighting is insufficient. Well lit areas are known to reduce the chances of crime. A brightly lit park or pathway deters criminals and boosts the confidence of pedestrians.

3 Adding charm to the night view

When planning and developing architectural or location based landmarks a key aspect to facade/landscape design is lighting. Well designed lighting can enhance landmarks like boardwalks, promenades, sea front or lake fronts. These create beautiful ambiences and add charm to the night time facades and architectural views of the city.

Bright lighting also look very beautiful in night markets. The hustle bustle of the market complements a brightly lit street with vendors, shops and hawkers all selling their wares.

4 Energy

While lighting has its inherent advantages, but there are many questions being raised about the energy efficiency of street lighting. It is important to make sure that energy conservation is an essential part of planning and implementing lighting. There are few options that one could consider for this.

A Solar street light:

The most obvious solution would be to ensure that all street lighting is solar powered. This means that each street lamp is affixed with a solar panel on top which charges the power source through the day.

B LED street light:

This is the latest technological option for public area lighting. LED lights are low in energy consumption and have a longer shelf life than incandescent lights. LED Lighting options have gained popularity over the last few years to the point where a fast developing country like India have launched a nationwide replacement of streetlights to LED. It is stated that “the eco-friendly LEDs will help curb release of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere by 44,000 tonne per year”.

The pros and cons Of LED streetlights:

LED technology was made for street lighting. Many people already know that they are environmentally friendly because they consume so little energy and have lower maintenance costs. The American Medical Association strongly encourages the use of LED streetlights to minimize health and environment issues.

Specifications for LED streetlights must also be carefully considered.

According to AMA, they recommend that outdoor street lighting must have a colour temperature (CT) threshold of 3000 Kelvin (K). CT is the measurement for spectral content of light with the colours of yellow, red, blue and green. A higher CT rating means greater blue light concentration, which results to more white light.

Many cities like New York and Seattle are retrofitting their street lights with LED CT ratings of 4000K to 5000K. This means a high level of blue light. Other cities are following suit.

LED streetlights produce less heat and lasts longer.

This policy statement by AMA gained unanimous approval during their last annual meeting in Chicago, in response to the growing popularity and practical uses of LED lighting indoors and outdoors.

Cities and municipalities are already replacing their streetlights with the more efficient and power saving LED units that are proven to save more energy and require less maintenance.

The AMA, however, points out while the benefits are tremendous, the need to properly design the LED structures must also consider minimizing potential effects to health and the environment.

Complaints of LED-produced lights

Some quarters, however, express their concerns regarding mounting complaints of vision-affecting glare. One recent example is from Davis, California. Residents were constantly complaining that the LED streetlights lights were harsh to the eyes and needs replacement.

A couple of problems were raised on LED’s ‘white light’ which is glare and discomfort. Since LED light is concentrated and has high blue light, it causes glare that causes papillary constriction. Sufficient levels of blue light can even cause damage to the retina.

Recommendations for installing LED street lights:

In order to balance the pros and cons of LED street lighting, AMA gave out three recommendations to serve as a guide for LED streetlights retrofitting

First, to support the proper conversion of community-based LED lighting to reduce energy use and impact to the environment. Second , to encourage measures to minimize and control high levels blue light by reducing glare with the use of filtering shields and avoid affecting sight. Third, to set the bar of 3000K or lower CT for outdoor installations like roads and streets with proper shields to prevent glare, as well as dimming the lights during off-peak hours.