Why?
The way I see it streetlighting on motorways is just an absolute waste of energy.
Fair enough at some busy motorway junctions, but why on earth are lights needed on straight sections.
If the lighting is there for safetly reasons then why aren't ALL motorways lit for their entire length?
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Yes especially as it seems to encourage people driving on parking lights at 70-80 mph in the dusk as they read somewhere it's Ok where there are street lights ( I'm pretty sure that , that rule is in fact only when it's lit and the limit is 30)
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Agree entirely.
Waste of energy (this government's good at that - look at all the lights on in government offices in the middle of the night).
Encourages speeding (better visiblity).
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Agree it's a waste of energy (as is much other street lighting).
Having said that I'm feel a slight pressure come off emerging onto the last bit of the M6 and knowing its lit all the way home from there.
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>>(as is much other street lighting).>>
Do you include village, town and city street lighting in this remark?
Street lighting is for the benefit of pedestrians, cyclists and others just as much as for vehicle drivers.
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It's to do with driver fatigue. Apparently makes a huge difference, though I reckon they could save huge amounts of energy by actually switching them on when it gets dark, and not 2 hours before.
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>>(as is much other street lighting).>>Do you include village, town and city street lighting in this remark? Street lighting is for the benefit of pedestrians, cyclists and others just as much as for vehicle drivers.
Stuart
As a ped and daily cyclist I'd not disagree, plenty of street lighting is essential or at least of real benefit. Lots more could be thinned, removed or turned off in the small hours.
Improved our small cul de sac no end when the local laddies developed the trick of shinning up the posts and pinching the PIR switches.
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I'm afraid I wholeheartedly disagree - all motorways should be lit. In the depths of winter after a long drag on the M1 north I look forward to reaching Wakefield as this is where the lighting starts - it's also where West Yorkshire starts, no doubt South Yorkshire/Derbyshire wouldn't pay for lighting. The difference it makes on fatigue is definately beneficial.
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I suppose the real answer is in whether there are more collision on the unlit stretches - anyone know?
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Every mile of the Belgian motorway system is lit; I suppose there must be some advantage but it must be costly, changing the bulbs (all lighting is in the centre reservation so lane closures) and these days the electricity isn't exactly cjeap!
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>>all motorways should be lit>>
In this case I'm afraid I wholeheartedly disagree...:-)
The only exceptions I make are major junctions with various slip roads to other motorways or important through roads; these are, of course, already well lit in all the cases of which I am aware.
If you are tired you should stop for a short period when appropriate and go for a walk and some fresh air.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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I should add that I personally prefer driving on unlit motorways, particularly late at night when no-one's around. All you have to is follow the cats eyes, which is really cool if the motorway is completely empty and you can go on main beam for a bit.
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Yes, the runway syndrome... on the A24 in Surrey there's a length of dual carriageway with coloured LEDs in the cat's eyes, quite psychedelic but they don't seem to be wearing all that well.
I think a lighted motorway is a bit more relaxing to drive on in any sort of traffic though. But the constant pulsing of artificial light is tiring in itself.
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I think a lighted motorway is a bit more relaxing to drive on in any sort of traffic though. But the constant pulsing of artificial light is tiring in itself.
Exactly. If it was constant light it would be fine but the pulsing tends to fatigue me.
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Low headlight beams are not made for speeds of more than 40 mph, so at 70+ you are overdriving the lights constantly on unlit motorway.
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Low headlight beams are not made for speeds of more than 40 mph, so at 70+ you are overdriving the lights constantly on unlit motorway.
I agree. That is the dilema if you want to go more than 40 mph. To drive blind on dipped lights, or dazzle everyone else by using full beams.
An alternative to wasteful street lighting would be a continuous dazzle screen along the central reservation.
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If the lighting is there for safetly reasons then why aren't ALL motorways lit for their entire length?
Cost probably.
i prefer the lit sections. i did Bath to Liverpool once a month leaving Bath at 4 in the morning, and the unlit sections were horrible. More lights the better IMO
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The trick is to dim your interior lights (speedo etc.) when you hit the unlit section. Your eyes are then less distracted by light blaring up from your instruments.
I think some cars do this automatically. Saabs have a cool switch to turn off all lights inside bar the speedo too I think.
I found this out by accident, but it really works (I drive on unlit autobahns).
Regards,
Barchettaman
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>>I found this out by accident,>>
I'm surprised at that - Saab made great play of the feature for many years.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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I would have though it be possible to produce headlights for motorway driving that illuminate the road ahead for 96 metres (overall stopping distance at 70mph) but don't dazzle oncoming drivers..
Afterall, it's only the road that need lighting up, no need to produce an entire 'tunnel' of light to drive in...
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Perhaps a more intelligent method of controlling motorway lighting could be devised. I would think that, say, two lights out of three could safely be extinguished during the 'wee small hours'. Having 100% lighting of deserted motorways does seem a bit wasteful - it would also lessen the dreaded 'light pollution'.
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Seems Glenda Jackson was the one with all the answers in 1997 - hopefully this cut and paste from Hansard will work....
Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the stretches of motorway which are currently unlit; what his Department's policy is in relation to lighting these parts of the motorway; and if he will make a statement. [5079]
Ms Glenda Jackson: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency to write to my hon. Friend. Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Peter Pike, dated 25 June 1997:
The Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions has asked me to reply to your recent question about the sections of unlit motorway and the Department's policy for lighting these parts of motorway.
Road Lighting is provided over 30% of the motorway network in England. A list and a map illustrating the lit sections of motorway is attached for your information. Copies of the attached map will be placed in the Library. All other sections of motorway are currently unlit.
Lighting is provided in high accident risk areas. The decision on whether to provide lighting is based on an economic assessment of the capital, maintenance and energy costs set against the potential savings as a result of the reduction in night time personal injury accidents. A full environmental assessment is also incorporated.
New motorway lighting is being provided in conjunction with motorway widening schemes currently under construction. Apart from this, there is no programme to extend road lighting to unlit sections of motorway. The situation is however kept under review in light of historic accident rates and availability of funds.
25 Jun 1997 : Column: 524
List of whole or part sections of lit motorway
Motorway Junction to Junction
Number Number
M1 1 20
M1 21 27
M1 46 47
M2 6 End
M3 Start 1
M3 2 3
M3 12 End
M4 Start 8/9
M4 10 13
M4 20 21
M4 22 Wales
M5 Start 9
M5 14 19
M5 30 31
M6 Start 1
M6 2 3
M6 3 11
M6 15 16
M6 19 21A
M6 26 33
M10 1 2
M11 Start 3
M11 5 7
M11 12 End
M20 4 8
M20 11 13
M23 7 9
M23 9 9A
M23 10 End
M25 1A 3
M25 6 9
M25 10 17
M25 18 22
M25 23 31
M27 3 4
M27 5 9
M27 11 12
M32 Start 1
M32 1 3
M40 1 2
M40 4 5
M42 Start 1
M42 3 4
M42 5 9
M45 Start 1
M50 Start 1
M53 Start 3
M54 Start 3
M55 Start 3
M55 3 End
M56 Start 7
M57 6 End
M58 Start 1
M58 3 4
M61 Start 4
M61 9 End
M62 9 11
M62 11 27
M62 37 End
M63 Start End
M66 1 End
M67 Start End
M69 Start 1
M69 2 End
M180 Start 2
M180 4 End
M606 Start End
M621 Start End
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At the risk of being accused of a certain amount of obsession on the subject a bit more Googling establishes that a written question was put in the Commons in December with an answer promised by the end of this year.
Fingers crossed the bit of pasting works too...
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will initiate a study to compare the number of night-time accidents on stretches of unlit motorway with stretches of motorway that have lighting; and if he will publish the conclusions.
Stephen Ladyman (Minister of State, Department for Transport) Hansard source
The Highways Agency, who operate and manage the motorway network in England, have already instigated a project that is comparing night-time accidents on sections of lit and unlit roads. The aim is to review the benefit of road lighting on motorways by analysis of accident statistics. The findings will be incorporated into the revised national standard for the appraisal of road lighting provision on trunk roads and motorways, which is planned to be published towards the end of 2006
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And more recently:
Question of December 2005
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will initiate a study to compare the number of night-time accidents on stretches of unlit motorway with stretches of motorway that have lighting; and if he will publish the conclusions.
Stephen Ladyman (Minister of State, Department for Transport) Hansard source
The Highways Agency, who operate and manage the motorway network in England, have already instigated a project that is comparing night-time accidents on sections of lit and unlit roads. The aim is to review the benefit of road lighting on motorways by analysis of accident statistics. The findings will be incorporated into the revised national standard for the appraisal of road lighting provision on trunk roads and motorways, which is planned to be published towards the end of 2006.
So watch this space.
I also believe lighting helps to highlight standing water during periods of heavy rain.
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A study was done several years ago (reported in the Telegraph) that proved that the cost of putting lighting on every mile of UK motorway would be paid back in the first year by the economic savings from fewer accidents.
Now, I know that the economic savings can be argued. All I will say is that the sooner it is done, the happier I'll be. I'm talking here about the downward pointing lights (there's a name for them) that give the perfect light for driving, not the yellow sodium "light the night sky" type. I find them better than nothing, but only just.
There's a stretch of good lighting in Nottinghamshire on the M1 that I look forward to when I drive to Sheffield; it's so restful on the eyes. You can clearly see vehicles, which makes judging speeds a damned sight easier that when you're judging by lights alone.
The other thing about this type of lighting is that it stops the splash of light sideways that makes roads visible for miles. Look at a road with this type of light from a distance and all you can see is a strip of tarmac lit as if by nothing. We have it on our local main road and it looks great at night.
V
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The only thing about driving on the M-ways which can be done to allow the use of Mainbeam would be a taller central reservation.
I would like more lighting on a Mway and I think that all other roads without streetlighting.
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Vin, I understand what you are saying and agree; however money spent on lighting motorways comes out of Gordon's moneypot but the money saved by a lack of accidents does not go into his pot so there is not much of an incentive for him to spend the money.
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Gordon doesn't have a money pot - it's taxapayers' money and should be used to the maximum benefit of said taxpayers.
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Gordon does have a money pot; we fill it and he empties it and we don't have much say on what he spends it on either!
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Wasn't there a stretch of M-way south of Notts with a series of vertical rectangular plates, mounted in the central reservation to avoid problem with headlights from oncoming vehicles? I haven't traavlled up that way for many many years, so they may not be there anymore.
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I prefer unlit sections, especially with the newer smooth jet black tarmac and working cats eyes. I hate the way the inside of the car pulsates orange and black when there are streetlights, then having to adjust when you suddenly hit unlit road.
A study to compare accident rates on lit and unlit roads is fundamentally flawed as it would have to assume lights are installed at randomly chosen locations and not already for safety purposes.
Maybe the future is the newer LEDs now in testing which will be bright enough to replace traditional lights, these would then be able to fade up and down as traffic moves near them, by then we will probably all have our movements tracked to such an extent that the control system could have a connection to this system.
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