View Full Version : Do we really need street lights?
The clarity of last few nights have been a star gazers treat and I have enjoyed the absence of any nearby street lighting here in the hills.
When we visit neighbours or go out to get fuel or shut animals up like most country dwellers we carry a torch.
Yet how many small hamlets have a line of lamp standards burning along their roadsides which are are in my opinion totally unnecessary for human activity after dusk. And I have to question do we really need them all in our towns and cities?
I suspect not and I don't think for one moment that an avalanche of crime would engulf us if many were removed. I suspect the promoters and manufacturers of street lighting delight in pressing the health and safety/crime anxiety button. There have probably been more folk killed or injured by crashing into lighting columns than saved by them, and then there's the big question of power consumption in these enlightened green times.... Time we had a campaign to ditch unecessary lights, now where are those Christmas decorations....
Imagine trying to get up or down the Blackstairs with no street lights, there would be bodies littered everywhere! :lol:
I commute to work by bike several times a week. There are stretches on my journey where the quality of lighting isn't that great and I struggle to see the road. The roads themselves aren't great and there are plenty of wide, deep potholes to keep an eye out for.
It's one thing driving the road and cursing as your suspension takes a battering in an unseen hole... but if you hit one on a bicycle you're coming off.
I've really come to appreciate good-quality street-lighting of late. Must be getting old. ;)
Surely street lighting will prevent many mishaps for both drivers and other road users?
I would be very nervous out walking on my own if there were no lights. In December the shopping centre in which I work is open until 9pm during the week so it is not like some people have any choice but to go out after dark.
Some of the pavements around here are in not too good condition so I think it would be quite easy to trip.
Plus I am careful to try not to step in anything WITH lights on lol. (esp living behind a nightclub..)
We do need street lights in towns and cities, although probably not quite so many given all the other lighting. But I don't think we need so many in the country. There are many places that need some lighting but I'm sure fewer street lights would be just as good.
What I really don't understand are all the outside lights people seem to need these days, some really bright orange. There are a few buildings that have these lights facing the road so they're shining right into drivers' eyes and are quite dangerous. As for all the others - what are they for? Why do houses in the middle of the country have bright lights all evening, sometimes 2 or 3? We have amazing starry skies up here and bright moonlit nights which are so beautiful. There are sometimes good reason for leaving lights on - people coming home after dark - but surely not so many or so bright.
dirdyweeker
01-Dec-08, 00:06
I would love to say no to street lights so we could all enjoy the skies. But, unfortunately for many reasons we do need them. My main reason would be to avoid the "doggy do's" I would otherwise tread on!:)
I lived without them for a while and it did me no harm, I've got a wind up torch.
We do need street lights in towns and cities, although probably not quite so many given all the other lighting. But I don't think we need so many in the country. There are many places that need some lighting but I'm sure fewer street lights would be just as good.
What I really don't understand are all the outside lights people seem to need these days, some really bright orange. There are a few buildings that have these lights facing the road so they're shining right into drivers' eyes and are quite dangerous. As for all the others - what are they for? Why do houses in the middle of the country have bright lights all evening, sometimes 2 or 3? We have amazing starry skies up here and bright moonlit nights which are so beautiful. There are sometimes good reason for leaving lights on - people coming home after dark - but surely not so many or so bright.
saftey reasons:~(
I have been scared of the dark for as long as i can remember.
I am getting better, but still only go out walking in the dark if it is essential, like picking the bairn up from after school clubs. :eek:
If there was no street lights i would'nt do it so yes i think we need street lights.
Well i try to do my bit to save energy and recycle and the like,but i walk to work at just after 5.30am and i must admit no street lights would make me a little scared. i would be also arrive to work with grazed knees from tripping on uneven pavements and clatted up with dog poops! lol
I too love to stargaze and enjoy no light pollution so the remedy to this topic is a broblem.
It's ok for a few to say point blank get them switched off, but these are people who likley have transport or will be walking about when they are not alone.
The street lights would be good if they came on if activated by a sensor pir type thing????? dont laugh it's just an idea folks?? what do you think??
Solastar
saftey reasons:~(
Can you explain please? How does a bright security light shining in drivers' eyes add to safety? Or external lights in the middle of nowhere if everyone is safely indoors - you can turn the light on briefly then off again or, as others have said, if you need to go out you can use a torch.
A lot depends on circumstances but I really don't believe we need so many lights.
riggerboy
01-Dec-08, 15:11
not in the thurso, reay area as they get enough light from the radation in dounreay,
however in wick i think we could get by with candles, ahh candle reminds me elton john has a new song out for xmas about mother teresa
sandles in the bin
Amy-Winehouse
01-Dec-08, 15:45
not in the thurso, reay area as they get enough light from the radation in dounreay,
however in wick i think we could get by with candles, ahh candle reminds me elton john has a new song out for xmas about mother teresa
sandles in the bin
Thats an old one but[lol]
As for street lights , they must stay.
if someone gets drunk and falls down in the middle of the road & the driver (who would be able to see them if he streetlights are there) didnt see them-knocked them down, can you imagine the outcry??
We`ve come on a lot since the dark ages & in my opinion safety is very important- street lights certainly help that in built up areas, If we didnt have them- would we get a reduction in our council tax?
Keep the Streetlights shining Brightly
I hate these cement atrocities with their ghastly chemical light. They may be necessary in cities and towns but the merest hamlets are illuminated. And as for the argument that you need to see where you are going if you are on a bike, that is simple nonsense. Using that argument we would have street lights on every road in Britain from John O Groats to Lands End. What is important is to wear a reflective garment. And as for drivers - anything that gets them driving more safely is a good idea.
In those rare spots where street light is necessasy could we please use gas - it is so much more mellow....
Kevin Milkins
01-Dec-08, 19:48
Having lived most of my life out in the sticks I have come to accept the dark as a way of life.I do miss star gazing without light pollution, but do respect other people's opinion to want to live in a well lit area.While we have had this period of dark nights with clear skys I have been taking the dogs out after midnight and walking up the river side in Wick and have enjoyed the darkness and star gazing once again.
changilass
01-Dec-08, 19:59
Please don't get rid of the streetlights I'm scared of the dark :eek:
Could it be that there is a fear of the dark and a lost abilty to cope with anything other than a concrete or tarmac surface under foot. O.K. I'm only a young pensioner but cycle and walk roads in the dark with reflective clothing and just switch on the wind up torch or cycle lights if a vehicle approaches. Most of the time if you let your eyes adjust you can see well enough to make your way about.
It's a bit like the other great experience again outside most people's comfort zone which is when you first sleep out without a roof or tent over your head and there's nothing between you and the stars. Don't knock it if you haven't tried it!
Yes, provide some low level lighting on steps and stairs in towns, but do we really need overhead lights in Janetstown, Spittal and Thrumster all night every night?
Sleeping al fresco?
You're beginning to lose me there, I must admit. On the other hand it could be vital training for those of us contemplating the wreckage of our pensions....
Yes, provide some low level lighting on steps and stairs in towns, but do we really need overhead lights in Janetstown, Spittal and Thrumster all night every night?
I'm with you Errogie. We could have a compromise - half as many lights in towns generally but same amount as now outside pubs or in crime areas. What I don't understand is why main roads outside towns have streetlights for miles. There's no pedestrians and I can't see that street lights are necessary for cars.
Badger, we have lights all around our house but they are the heat or movement sensitive ones that go off when you aren't there. The cat can't set them off - in fact I have to do a special dance outside the front door to make it come on. Fortunately we're in the country and I've no witnesses. They can be switched off altogether in the house if we want to go outside in the dark (which we often do).
Street lights exist so that drivers can see all the stupid drunk people stumbling all over the road every weekend.
Fact, more people are killed by lamp posts than saved by them! :)
Kevin Milkins
05-Dec-08, 01:20
Fact, more people are killed by lamp posts than saved by them! :)
Hi pottheed and welcome to the org.
How do we know how many people have been saved by having lamp posts?
I remember when I was a bairn there were no street lights on my street and the devillment we got up to at Halloween had no restriction as we could sneak around in the dark with no fear. However as soon as the lights arrived that kind of spoilt our fun, much to the other folks relief I supose
rockchick
05-Dec-08, 05:58
I commute to work by bike several times a week. There are stretches on my journey where the quality of lighting isn't that great and I struggle to see the road. The roads themselves aren't great and there are plenty of wide, deep potholes to keep an eye out for.
It's one thing driving the road and cursing as your suspension takes a battering in an unseen hole... but if you hit one on a bicycle you're coming off.
I've really come to appreciate good-quality street-lighting of late. Must be getting old. ;)
Isn't this why you have lights on your bike? You shouldn't be riding faster than the light you are carrying will allow you to see to stop safely.
I could live without the lights - it was a great pleasure to go somewhere remote for the summer and have a chance of seeing the full glory of the night sky. We could start by turning off every other street light for a few months and then 2 out of 3.
Reminds me of the Douglas Adams book.... was it the Long Dark Teatime of the Soul, or was it Dirk Gentley's Holistic Detective Agency? That one with the very large eagle sitting on his doorstep.
Kevin Milkins
06-Dec-08, 01:55
I have just returned home after a walk from Wick down to Reiss beach.
After getting past the Akergill turn its dark and the night sky was just a delight to see.
I had a small torch with me so I could get up on the grass verge when a car came along, but walking up the middle of the road on a night like tonight with just a little light from the waxing moon was exhilarating and well worth the walk.
forevera123
06-Dec-08, 12:38
to me, the more street lights we have, the better it is.we all feel more relax if we walk in a dark night but with alot street lights on. can you imagine what will happen if we walk, drive,ride bike in a dark night without street lights on?:D
to me, the more street lights we have, the better it is.we all feel more relax if we walk in a dark night but with alot street lights on. can you imagine what will happen if we walk, drive,ride bike in a dark night without street lights on?:D
Never hurt me as a kid; mind you, we used to have cycle lights, not ride around in the dark. Most people don't seem to bother these days, but them they probably use their mobile whilst driving as well. ;)
We need street lights in built up areas for safety, but I don't think we need them on country lanes. Except of course when there are daft cyclists who don't use lights.
The clarity of last few nights have been a star gazers treat and I have enjoyed the absence of any nearby street lighting here in the hills.
..........
And I have to question do we really need them all in our towns and cities?
Perhaps not Errogie. Your campaign has obviously worked. We've been without streetlights in the North part of Wick tonight since 5 pm.
I'm dreading the minute they find the problem - then the household power will fail and I will lose my connection to the kettle and the internet ;)
hope the street lights will be lit all the time when it is dark.it just makes me feel more safety with the street lights on.i am a person dont like be in dark.
hi moira, yer probly no aware but some yowng guys hev gotten a'had o' a key which enables them til open 'e little door on 'e street light an turn it off.
hydro bies hev spent most o' last week goin roond different parts o' weik switchin them back on.....:roll:
maybe 'e 'brats' they hev bin readin 'iss thread an are carryin oot an experiment :lol:
so its possible there mayna be a fault, choost 'e yowng bies up til no guid....
i hope so anyway, ma poor auld cheil'l hev til go oot an work in 'iss cowld weather :(
If you walked up George Street tonight, it was in complete darkness, no street lights, and quite dangerous as people couldnt see where they were going.
The clarity of last few nights have been a star gazers treat and I have enjoyed the absence of any nearby street lighting here in the hills.
When we visit neighbours or go out to get fuel or shut animals up like most country dwellers we carry a torch.
Yet how many small hamlets have a line of lamp standards burning along their roadsides which are are in my opinion totally unnecessary for human activity after dusk. And I have to question do we really need them all in our towns and cities?
I suspect not and I don't think for one moment that an avalanche of crime would engulf us if many were removed. I suspect the promoters and manufacturers of street lighting delight in pressing the health and safety/crime anxiety button. There have probably been more folk killed or injured by crashing into lighting columns than saved by them, and then there's the big question of power consumption in these enlightened green times.... Time we had a campaign to ditch unecessary lights, now where are those Christmas decorations....
No problem for Halkirk lighting up buildings around the village with the green energy money provided by the windmill money and others though.
If you walked up George Street tonight, it was in complete darkness, no street lights, and quite dangerous as people couldnt see where they were going.
It was pretty scary even just walking up the street. at every gate i was expecting something to jump out at me and was very glad to reach home and our outside light came on as i walked through the entry.
It was pretty scary even just walking up the street. at every gate i was expecting something to jump out at me and was very glad to reach home and our outside light came on as i walked through the entry.
Maybe it's time for a move to the bright "green" lights of Halkirk?;)
Fact, more people are killed by lamp posts than saved by them! :)
Just where do you get this so called fact? How can you possibly count how many lives have been saved by Street Lights?
In reality you could say that every one who walks down a street at night as in seen by a driver because of the street lights, their life has been saved. So that must run into Millions and Millions or even Billions of Lives saved.
That is silly I know but just as realistic as your statement.
I know I would not go out in lots of Towns or Cities at night if there were no street lights. It just would not be safe, not only from Muggers but from all types of Vehicles.
So the very idea of removing Street Lights is just silly.
percy toboggan
16-Dec-08, 19:13
Yes we do in built up areas. It's the cost of civilisation.
hi moira, yer probly no aware but some yowng guys hev gotten a'had o' a key which enables them til open 'e little door on 'e street light an turn it off............
No I wasn't aware of that trix. Unbelievable!
The north side of Wick City is well lit up at the moment.:D I just hope that last night's problem hasn't "moved" somewhere else tonight.
Tom Cornwall
16-Dec-08, 20:36
I commute to work by bike several times a week. There are stretches on my journey where the quality of lighting isn't that great and I struggle to see the road. The roads themselves aren't great and there are plenty of wide, deep potholes to keep an eye out for.
It's one thing driving the road and cursing as your suspension takes a battering in an unseen hole... but if you hit one on a bicycle you're coming off.
I've really come to appreciate good-quality street-lighting of late. Must be getting old. ;)
you can't be one of those cyclists who don't bother with bike lights, surely..
Welcomefamily
16-Dec-08, 20:42
Its nice to see the kids of Wick conserving energy, has there been an increase in mugging?
I think we should start getting use to the idea of not so many street lights as at some stage Im sure we will have to make a choice of lights or another mission critical service in the council such as new road signs. :lol:
Whitewater
17-Dec-08, 00:09
We need the lights in the towns for all of the reasons stated in the previous posts. But do we need them on all night? I have just returned from one of my regular visits to the Isle of Man where my son lives in a small village called Crosby, the street lights are turned off at 12.30am. It makes sense to me, nobody about then. I'm not aware of the street lighting times in the larger towns, but I'm sure that a similar policy will be in force, with a large reduction in lighting after 12.30. They are very keen on saving money over there as well as doing their bit for the environment. If all the levels of steet lighting were greatly reduced during the night just think of the energy we would save. I don't think it would lead to an increase in crime. If somebody is out to do no good, they are going to do it regardless of the lighting level.
We need the lights in the towns for all of the reasons stated in the previous posts. But do we need them on all night? I have just returned from one of my regular visits to the Isle of Man where my son lives in a small village called Crosby, the street lights are turned off at 12.30am. It makes sense to me, nobody about then. I'm not aware of the street lighting times in the larger towns, but I'm sure that a similar policy will be in force, with a large reduction in lighting after 12.30. They are very keen on saving money over there as well as doing their bit for the environment. If all the levels of steet lighting were greatly reduced during the night just think of the energy we would save. I don't think it would lead to an increase in crime. If somebody is out to do no good, they are going to do it regardless of the lighting level.I always thought that the lights were switched on automaticaly through the use of a photo electric cell when the light falls bellow a certain level and off when the level of light increases.
I would say that well lit streets are are a definite deterant against various crimes being commited the same way that equiping your property with security lights which use pir sensors is a deterant against burglary.
AfternoonDelight
17-Dec-08, 13:10
Fact, more people are killed by lamp posts than saved by them! :)
Fact - 90% of statistics are made up... :roll:
percy toboggan
17-Dec-08, 17:40
Urban street lighting is essential to safeguard the populace in the even of a stricken airliner having to make a forced landing. Any respectable pilot would do his best to aim for somewhere unlit.
I may be looking at this from a different angle but it's a thought worth considerin'
I live on the MIA flightpath - on a small housing estate with large , quite empty fields very close by. I'd hate to be woken up by a crashing jet which might have been navigated away from our little 'ousez for the sake of a few street lights.
I hope the streets lights will work properly all through the year,and whereever it is dark, there must have some streets lights. i just don't like dark:D
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.