r32

Some councils are to turn off street lighting at midnight in a bid to save money and be green. Some have already started to switch off but didnt even warn or inform residents.
Third world or what?
Street lights DO make us safer, says minister (so why are councils switching them off at midnight?) | the Daily Mail

davegtt

Agreed they should stay on purely because of the safety aspect.

andy97

iTrader: (1)

I like it dark, we live in the country and there only a few light on in the area. Great views of the stars. Your eyes adapt quite easily- unless you suffer from night blindness, and then you should be in doors by 4pm

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

They used to do this when I was a lad.

I think it's a retrograde step, more crime, more muggings, less safer streets.

Labour: tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime.........so long as it's motoring related, relatively easy to prosecute, makes money for them...

Alcazar

PeteBrant

I remember when I moved out of London - THere were two things that took me ages to get used to - One was not being on the underground, the other was the lack of street lights.


Somehow, and I can only presume this is by some miracle, I have managed to survive without either.

CrisPDuk

I hope our council start doing it soon, there's one right outside my bedroom window that I'll be glad for them to switch off

chris_c201

Granted the safety aspect is an issue but there is definitely an improvement to energy efficiency to be made here!

Obviously the initial outlay in costs would be prohibitive but what if they put everything on 2 circuits so that come midnight they could turn off every 2nd light?!?! Either that or (like in the advert where they go on and off as cars / people approach) they could be sensor driven... again initial outlay would be high and it would take a (huge) number of years to recoup costs..

David Lock

Great idea

I don't think it will increase crime - may be just move it about a bit.

As said - enjoy the night sky

The Zohan

I do remember them being switched off years ago, not too sure how well this wil work now, current trends antisocial behaviour, less cops on the streets - it seems like a recipe for disaster in some areas.

Henrik

iTrader: (5)

How about replacing them with high efficiency LED lights instead?

Iain Young

Very good idea. Also install fittings which just shine the light downwards instead of letting %50+ of it escape to the night sky. Should save energy, require less lights, and cut down light pollution.

The Zohan

now you introduce a new element in the reasons behind, LEDs would be efficient and long lasting and with less stray light pollution from better quality and new designed luminaries. there would however be a cost to replacing the existing lights> really it could be construed about saving money disguised as saving energy and good for the enviroment.


agreed with the comments about it moving crime to different areas, time will tell and the public wil be the test subjects, like it or not.

j4ckos mate

we have these new white ones on hour road and they are very bright as opposed to the old yellow ones.

last year we stayed at treardhur bay on a lads night out with j4cko and i could not believe how dark it was you could barely see a few yards in front

ChrisB

Are people out that often after midnight?

Or what about turning them off from 2am to 4 or 5am?

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

My girlfriend's xmas lights were so bright a few years ago on her house, taht the council came and turned off the street light in the cul-de-sac as it was not needed

David Lock

No one there to do it at those times......

speedking

Timer plug.

I'm all for it. If crime is an issue, how about just turning off motorway lights. I prefer driving in the dark anyway.

Clarebabes

People looking for cars to nick would be out around this sort of time as it's when most people are asleep.

BMWhere?

I think its a great idea! Why waste all that energy for the one or two cars that are about!

They've been doing it over here in Germany for decades and it hasn't caused any problems! They also switch the traffic lights at minor junctions off too, so you don't waste time and fuel sitting at a red traffic light at 4am with nothing coming the other way!

Clarebabes

Now that is a great idea! I could think of a stretch of road in Northampton that would be perfect for!

Steve_PPP

iTrader: (3)

the street lights in my parent's street (where I grew up) have always gone off at midnight (winter time) and 1am (summer time). Its been like that for at least 20 years and still is. Works fine - i've walked home without the lights many times and as said, you quickly adapt to the darkness.

btw, this is in a small town - approx 5000 residents in West Sussex. I thought loads of places had their lights go off at night?

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

If you are going to turn them off at certain times just be done with it and remove them completely. Then every tom dick and harry can start installing security lights to make up for the difference

Pure cost saving exercise. The point of the street light is to help keep streets safe during night hours. People work all sorts of shifts, not to mention that the lighter it is the harder it is for criminals to move around on the streets at night.

It should come as no surprise that you are much more likely to be attacked in a dark alley where your attacker can hide from you and others, than on the street in full view.

Iain Young

Of course it could be argued that the fact that most people are asleep at that time of night means that the street lighting just makes it easier for the criminals to see what they are doing

SirFozzalot

I've often wondered why they have so many lights on certain stretches of motorway which are generally very quiet at night.

They could at least switch off every other light or leave one in three on, I'm sure that would still provide plenty of lighting. There are still large sections of the M11 that have no lighting at all.

Flatcapdriver

Well, we all seem to manage alright out in the sticks so I can't see why the townies can't survive without street lighting for a few hours. Mind you, having seen the way they panic when confronted with an unlit lane to drive down at night - perhaps not.

dunx

iTrader: (3)

Turn the lights off !

Bring back the death sentence !

SORTED !

ScoTTyB

It may even reduce anti social behaviour because no-one can see anything and the anti social types are not savvy enough to think of carrying a torch.

mykp

why dont they just have a curfew from 12 to 5am, that way nobody needs any streetlights, the population is controlled and the health and safety monkies wont have to worry about us being safe

billythekid

I think the best solution is to hang the crims from the existing lamp posts with those little LED torches.. then as you walk past they shine the torch where you are going. Simple solution and it will reduce the prison population to zero. Those really nasty crims can be put on the lamp posts that always seem to be being hit by trucks.. then let nature take its course.