Lights out - BBC News

[gfun]

Any thoughts from a road saftey angle. Good or Bad?

Will it slow people down to a safe speed = save lives. Or will people who crash now claim compensation from a negligent council who expected them to drive in the dark?

Gfun :-)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Plug pulled on all-night lighting

A council is pulling the plug on its practice of keeping street lighting on all night long to help reduce light pollution and to conserve energy.
Street lights controlled by Essex County Council will be switched off between midnight and 0500 GMT in places where it feels it is appropriate.

The council said it was "clearly appropriate" for all night lighting to remain in certain limited areas.

A number of pilot areas have been earmarked for the new approach.

'Global issues'

The council funds the majority of street lighting across Essex, which is about 120,000 lights.

The annual energy consumption of this facility is 44 million kilowatt hours of electricity, producing 19,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.

Councillor Rodney Bass said: "We take very seriously our responsibility to take local action on global environmental issues.

"We encourage residents to think about the impact of their personal actions and we expect our staff to be equally responsible about saving energy.

"Now we are thinking more fundamentally about how our policies across the council affect the environment."

The intention to take the decision was published on Friday and will be signed on 24 July.




http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi

[jasandjules]

We couldn't give a stuff about the environment but this seems like a good excuse to cut our bills down so we can spend more on our own pay rises, pensions, and of course £7 a pack of biscuits for our meetings.

[puggit]

Having been driven around Havanna at night - I can only say this is a crazy suggestion!

As per above, it's cost cutting and nothing else...

[cooperman]

It might stop the Germans from bombing our chip shop - oh, that was 1940!

[wolves_wanderer]

In Peterborough they light every other streetlight on the parkways (sometimes now just 1 in 3) and yet they still replaced every single one a few months ago.

[BSA 500]

What can't people drive around in the dark with their headlights anymore.I live near the countryside and drive at night in pitch dark quite happliy.The councils used to turn the street lights off years ago and I can't see a problem in them doing that now it is a waste of leccy lighting up empty highstreets(plus side is that any drunk chavs might not see the odd river etc and fall in whilst pissed on woodpecker-always an up side to every story).Also that bloody street light outside my bedroom window would be off,no more bright yellow room for me.

[Deltafox]

Great idea. The scumbags that come out under cover of darkness will love it. Idiots.

[jasandjules]

BSA 500 said:

What can't people drive around in the dark with their headlights anymore.I live near the countryside and drive at night in pitch dark quite happliy.

Well, by nature your eyesight is better during the day. The more light there is, the better you see, which means the faster you can drive safely. Headlights down dark country lanes IME mean full beam and me blinded by the person coming the other way who can't seem to find the "off" switch.. For about 10 seconds...

[Parrot of Doom]

Good idea tbh. I'm sick of looking at an orange sky at night.

[Boosted LS1]

When I lived in Bournemouth there were plenty of residential roads in darkness save for lights switched on at junctions. Was quite scary being attacked by a black dog every night when walking home at 2 in the morning!

Boosted.

[HarryW]

so if theres no street lighting and its not sign posted does it mean its not a 30 limit anymore

[vonhosen]

HarryW said:

so if theres no street lighting and its not sign posted does it mean its not a 30 limit anymore

If the lights are there they don't have to be lit for the limit to still be in force.

[HarryW]

vonhosen said:

HarryW said:

so if theres no street lighting and its not sign posted does it mean its not a 30 limit anymore

If the lights are there they don't have to be lit for the limit to still be in force.

twas only a joke

[sadako]

Am I the only one wanting to drive to essex if they do this so I can look at the stars?

[BigBob]

Seem to remember they did something like this in Cardiff ages ago - nothing so alturistic as saving the environment, they simply ran out of money.

If memory serves there was also an increase in accidents on the affected stretches.


BB

[Peter Ward]

Back to the old days when lights went out at midnight because nobody was out then. And the TV shut down till 4pm the following day, and there was no BBC2, C4, C5.... Morcambe and Wise on Saturday nights. Those were the days.

I don't think you can turn the clock back, but if it saves electricity, doesn't cause more accidents/muggings/murders, and gives us our night sky back, then let's have more of it. I'm sure turning the lights off will do far more than removing standby capability from a few TVs.

(though I think manmade global warming is a myth)

[herewego]

[quote=Peter Ward]Back to the old days when lights went out at midnight because nobody was out then. And the TV shut down till 4pm the following day, and there was no BBC2, C4, C5.... Morcambe and Wise on Saturday nights. Those were the days.

I don't think you can turn the clock back, but if it saves electricity, doesn't cause more accidents/muggings/murders, and gives us our night sky back, then let's have more of it. I'm sure turning the lights off will do far more than removing standby capability from a few TVs.

There must be 40 million TVs in the uk alone. Quite a few.

[7db]

vonhosen said:

HarryW said:

so if theres no street lighting and its not sign posted does it mean its not a 30 limit anymore

If the lights are there they don't have to be lit for the limit to still be in force.

Yes, but should the initial signage be lit or not?

[herewego]

7db said:

vonhosen said:

HarryW said:

so if theres no street lighting and its not sign posted does it mean its not a 30 limit anymore

If the lights are there they don't have to be lit for the limit to still be in force.

Yes, but should the initial signage be lit or not?

Street signs seem to be lit 24/7 independently of street lighting.

Edited by herewego on Saturday 15th July 11:16