The great street light switch off
Discussion
LEDs in all lights
Off at midnight
On at 6am
PIR sensors in all posts
It really can't be that hard. We use this system on our company car park. Saves a fortune, keeps the crime rates down (or makes the toe rags learn how to dodge the sensors , reduces energy consumption. Problem is convincing local authorities that it's worth the initial outlay.
Off at midnight
On at 6am
PIR sensors in all posts
It really can't be that hard. We use this system on our company car park. Saves a fortune, keeps the crime rates down (or makes the toe rags learn how to dodge the sensors , reduces energy consumption. Problem is convincing local authorities that it's worth the initial outlay.
ridds said:
LEDs in all lights
Off at midnight
On at 6am
PIR sensors in all posts
It really can't be that hard. We use this system on our company car park. Saves a fortune, keeps the crime rates down (or makes the toe rags learn how to dodge the sensors , reduces energy consumption. Problem is convincing local authorities that it's worth the initial outlay.
No the problem is local authorities making it worth the initial outlay by not taking another opportunity to waste massive sums of cash on something simple. As youngsyr says above his local council managed to spend a million quid on such a "system" which is ultimately just a switch. You could pay someone a generous salary for their entire working life to do nothing but flick this switch at the right time and still have change out of a million, or you could buy a simple time switch from Argos for a fiver and set it in advance, yet somehow local government found an even more elaborate and expensive way to do it.Off at midnight
On at 6am
PIR sensors in all posts
It really can't be that hard. We use this system on our company car park. Saves a fortune, keeps the crime rates down (or makes the toe rags learn how to dodge the sensors , reduces energy consumption. Problem is convincing local authorities that it's worth the initial outlay.
Adrian W said:
After all who gives a s
t about people (especially old people)...
Consider it a slightly less technically advanced version of Logan's Run t about people (especially old people)... 
Like many others have noted, no street lights where I live for 7 miles in any direction, and most of those that do then exist have been off at midnight for a while now.
No massive increase in crime or accidents thus far. Torch sales probably improved a bit.
And again as others have mentioned, the night sky on a clear night is something to behold (coming from having lived in cities for the last 15yrs).
They should all be shut off. As should the lighting in office buildings. I'm no tree hugger, but there are certain elements of waste that simply make no sense. Especially when I'm paying for it through taxes etc.
I live in a small village, 10 years ago we fought against the council to install street lighting on the "main" road, we lost! Thankfully i live about 1/3 mile away from them so still have proper darkness.
We now have five street lights on timers and it has destroyed the feeling of comfort that pitch black provides. Believe me darkness reduces crime because a torch is needed and they can be seen easily. Even with bright moonlight although finding your way around is easy the shadows are still pitch black and a torch is needed.
It also helps that every house bar a couple have dogs. It's a brave or foolish person who tries to creep around here!
There hasn't been any crime, of any kind while i've lived here which is nearly 25 years, the old boys talk about there being a break in once in the 60's but he was caught after one of the semi-wild farm dogs tore into him!
We now have five street lights on timers and it has destroyed the feeling of comfort that pitch black provides. Believe me darkness reduces crime because a torch is needed and they can be seen easily. Even with bright moonlight although finding your way around is easy the shadows are still pitch black and a torch is needed.
It also helps that every house bar a couple have dogs. It's a brave or foolish person who tries to creep around here!
There hasn't been any crime, of any kind while i've lived here which is nearly 25 years, the old boys talk about there being a break in once in the 60's but he was caught after one of the semi-wild farm dogs tore into him!
Agrispeed said:
We have lots of people from big urban areas stay with us, there are no lights here - the nearest are a glow on the horizon. It's dark, really dark. When there's no moon it's pitch black.
Usually the first comment is something like 'I didn't realise it went dark like this at night!' Surprisingly how many of these people are also scared of the dark
No ones got hurt, (no burglaries, but then there's not many places to nick stuff from!) and when you go to the pub at night those that walk carry a torch. Simple.
It's so much easier to go to sleep when it's actually dark! The amount of stars you can see compared to urban areas is quite amazing too.
Definitely, I`ve just moved to a small village with 2 lamps over 1/4mile of road, and nothing but fields around it, and its so dark, you cant do much without a torch.Usually the first comment is something like 'I didn't realise it went dark like this at night!' Surprisingly how many of these people are also scared of the dark
No ones got hurt, (no burglaries, but then there's not many places to nick stuff from!) and when you go to the pub at night those that walk carry a torch. Simple.
It's so much easier to go to sleep when it's actually dark! The amount of stars you can see compared to urban areas is quite amazing too.
This article is interesting : http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Burglars-afraid-dark-... and I can see how it would be valid for areas that are just pitch black with no lights on.
I suspect the other surveys where crime dropped when the street lighting was improved was comparing poor lighting with improved lighting, and not no lighting with good lighting.
Where I used to live they upgraded all the street lights, including the one outside my house, and it was like daylight, way too bright, and serving no real purpose for most of the time.
Adding PIRs to all lamps makes some sense, but unless they are very robust, they will break, and arguably, having some streets working, and them some randomly not, is worse than having no lights. Plus if there was one outside my house, the constant on-off would drive me nuts!
three five five said:
Streetlighting design engineer here.
Shutting off lighting increases crime.
Shutting off lighting increases crime.
Bristol Post article said:
South Gloucestershire police district superintendent Andy Williams said: “We have been monitoring the impact of part night lighting on crime as it has been rolled out in towns and villages over the past year.
“Our findings mirror the national picture, which is that part night lighting has so far not had any notable adverse impact on crime.
“Data from September shows that in fact many areas where street lighting has been reduced in South Gloucestershire have seen a reduction in night-time crime since the switch-off.”
What's a man to think? “Our findings mirror the national picture, which is that part night lighting has so far not had any notable adverse impact on crime.
“Data from September shows that in fact many areas where street lighting has been reduced in South Gloucestershire have seen a reduction in night-time crime since the switch-off.”
three five five said:
That I would prefer Andy Williams singing Moon River and such...
one hundred years of research on the presence of street lighting benefits in crime prevention versus the recentish findings based on a couple of years selective switching off.
We'll see
Wow how old are you then?one hundred years of research on the presence of street lighting benefits in crime prevention versus the recentish findings based on a couple of years selective switching off.
We'll see
Can I ask what kind of lights were used 100 years ago? Gas by any chance??
I live in a commuter village and the lights go off before the last train arrives. A little more thought would've been good.
Agrispeed said:
No ones got hurt, (no burglaries, but then there's not many places to nick stuff from!) and when you go to the pub at night those that walk carry a torch. Simple.
I walk with 2 sticks, so when they're off, I'm stuffed. Yes, I have tried a headlight, not much good.Blib said:
three five five said:
Streetlighting design engineer here.
Shutting off lighting increases crime.
Shutting off lighting increases crime.
Bristol Post article said:
South Gloucestershire police district superintendent Andy Williams said: “We have been monitoring the impact of part night lighting on crime as it has been rolled out in towns and villages over the past year.
“Our findings mirror the national picture, which is that part night lighting has so far not had any notable adverse impact on crime.
“Data from September shows that in fact many areas where street lighting has been reduced in South Gloucestershire have seen a reduction in night-time crime since the switch-off.”
What's a man to think? “Our findings mirror the national picture, which is that part night lighting has so far not had any notable adverse impact on crime.
“Data from September shows that in fact many areas where street lighting has been reduced in South Gloucestershire have seen a reduction in night-time crime since the switch-off.”
three five five said:
Streetlighting design engineer here.
LED schemes can pay back in a matter of a few years when you take into account the running cost and lack of need to replace a lamp every three years. Its being done on our estate as we speak. Switching off lighting is done more so to satisfy CO 2 reduction promises for political gain.
Shutting off lighting increases crime.
The council I work for has switched off some motorway lighting but mainly as cost of renewing associated barriers and providing passively safe equip is killing the budget so the price of the electric is only part of it.
hope that clarifies
Do you have any data on replacement of LED lights? In theory they should last a long time, but I've seen LED lamps go bad in very short time. I presume they are then more expensive than the older sodium lamps to replace?LED schemes can pay back in a matter of a few years when you take into account the running cost and lack of need to replace a lamp every three years. Its being done on our estate as we speak. Switching off lighting is done more so to satisfy CO 2 reduction promises for political gain.
Shutting off lighting increases crime.
The council I work for has switched off some motorway lighting but mainly as cost of renewing associated barriers and providing passively safe equip is killing the budget so the price of the electric is only part of it.
hope that clarifies
Adrian W said:
After all who gives a st about people (especially old people) who are now terrified to go out at night because it is to dark to walk the streets where they live.
how many of the paranoid and the old dears are aobut from midnight to 4 or 5 am which is generally when the switched off / reduced number active periods are ... t about people (especially old people) who are now terrified to go out at night because it is to dark to walk the streets where they live. 
JimbobVFR said:
A lot of phones let you use the LED flash as a torch, very handy I use mine quite a lot unless I've still got my work gear on as I always have a decent torch in my work trousers or work coat pocket.
I wouldn't walk around in the dark at all, let alone with £500+ worth of phone out in my hand.Utterly stupid turning off streetlights, I'm more likely to drive around the corner to the shop now, as apposed to walking, I just don't feel safe tbh.
youngsyr said:
Has anyone actually looked at the sums though?
My local council turns the lights off at midnight, not sure what time they come on - before 7am though.
However, I've heard that it cost over a million quid to fit the equipment required to turn the lights off on a timer and the annual saving in electricity bills is 1/10th of that!
Some background reading:
http://www.newscenter.philips.com/gb_en/standard/n...
10% annually sounds like an excellent return!My local council turns the lights off at midnight, not sure what time they come on - before 7am though.
However, I've heard that it cost over a million quid to fit the equipment required to turn the lights off on a timer and the annual saving in electricity bills is 1/10th of that!
Some background reading:
http://www.newscenter.philips.com/gb_en/standard/n...
I'd very happily invest £10,000 if I was £1,000/year better off every year from that moment on as a result.
Ari said:
10% annually sounds like an excellent return!
I'd very happily invest £10,000 if I was £1,000/year better off every year from that moment on as a result.
a 10 % return on investment is relatively quick and certainly would pass the cost: benefit tests of most organisations ...I'd very happily invest £10,000 if I was £1,000/year better off every year from that moment on as a result.
Otispunkmeyer said:
Do you have any data on replacement of LED lights? In theory they should last a long time, but I've seen LED lamps go bad in very short time. I presume they are then more expensive than the older sodium lamps to replace?
Up to 80000 hours depending on quality and wattageThat means that there's virtually no maintenance other than the odd wipe down with a cloth. AT £70 or more to send an engineer to change a lamp every two years the extra cost soon gets recovered.
An good quality LED version of a lantern is usually about £200/250 more than its SON equivalent so its no difficult to justify.
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