on the news-turn off street lights

oneday

another gem on the news, turning street lights off to save money - this country has gone completely mad -

dreamdaisy

It's a good idea I think. The councils will save money which can be re-directed to other uses. People are complaining about burglaries and cars crashing: burglars do what burglars do in broad daylight as well as in the dead of night, streetlamps or not. Cars come equipped with lights, which some drivers do tend to see as optional extras, thanks to street lighting. Even switching off every alternate light would save substantial sums of money, and reduce light pollution. I still find it odd, despite years now of urban living, to hear birds twittering at 2am. DD

frogmorton

Are you worried about the safety aspect Oneday?

I dont tend to veture out at night so don't think it would affect me.

Would the motion sensitive ones be too expensive you think??

Love

Toni xx

angel1

oneday wrote:

another gem on the news, turning street lights off to save money - this country has gone completely mad -

What a bl**dy great idea OD. Now the burglars can have a field day. I`ll leave a ladder up against the window as well, to make it even easier!

You couldn`t make it up!.........Ange.

dreamdaisy

Burglars tend to avoid street lamps - they don't pose underneath them. They skulk around the houses and darker spots - and use darkened torches too. Burglars will do what they will do - light quality doesn't generally play a part in their operations. We've had a spate of them round here lately - entry easily gained thanks to householders leaving windows open. Street lamps illuminate - dimly, admittedly, but then some householders are pretty dim too. DD

wibberley

Walking the dog after 5pm in winter is bad enough without doing it in total darkness! Also, I really wouldn't fancy my kids coming home from friends etc with no street lights on - really silly idea to me.

Lois

oneday

yes,safety was my first thought.
Not well lit up streets would be bad for motorists as visibility would be bad and cause more accidents - accidents always go up when clocks move as less day light so less artifical lighting will cause more accidents..
then for pedestrians - could be knocked down, mugged etc
burglars would love it too -
think if money is needed to be cut back there are other ways than to jeopardise safety e.g. increase meter parking 5p extra, cheaper toiletries in schools,council offices, more volunteering for jobs needed in parks etc - but street lights no ,no , then the ones like council executive get paid as though theyre surgeons!

oh yes, another part of the street lights was turning off some traffic lights - it wont save money cos theyll be more insurance claims for crashes,accidents, burglaries etc.

dreamdaisy

Cars crash regardless of street lamps and traffic lights. Pedestrians are run over regardless of street lamps, traffic lights, or even daylight. It's the lumpen mass of humanity behind the wheel of a car that causes the problems, plus, sometimes, the innate stupidity of some pedestrians and cyclists. People do not pay enough attention when they are driving. They are too busy yakking on a mobile, shouting at the radio, humming along to their favourite song or just too impatient to wait another few seconds in a queue. DD

frogmorton

delboy wrote:

Why not put movement sensors on them so they light up when people approach, it works in parts of Canada.


Wondered that Del....also what time are they turning them off?? hope its NOT when kids are coming home :shock:

livinglegend

dreamdaisy wrote:

It's the lumpen mass of humanity behind the wheel of a car that causes the problems, plus, sometimes, the innate stupidity of some pedestrians and cyclists. People do not pay enough attention when they are driving. DD

Nice thought, but really it's pedestrians who don't pay enough attention.

DfT, UK accident causation reports show that 85% of pedestrians involved in accidents admit that they walked/ran into the path of moving vehicles without really looking or were impaired by alcohol. Only 15% of pedestrian/vehicle accidents are due to drivers. Contributory Factors to Road Accidents, 2005. DfT

0% were down to poor street lighting.

As for turning street lights off then on again. One council lost money by trying this idiot scheme. It cost more to reset the system and get the street lights shut off and then turned on again than they saved in electric costs. Shutting them off or on ain't free.

Joseph 8)

mellman01

Hi oneday I live in a village and we don't have them and we love it you can see the stars and the milky way at night it's so beautiful, mind you I can't imagine them getting rid of all of them but a lot could be binned for example, down the road from us the bypass has 4 round about's and a total of 76 lights on them the first one down the road from here has 22 alone I mean why cars have headlights.
Ironically crime tends to go down without them as you can't break in without using some sort of light to see what your at, a burglar was on the radio the other day and said as much, mind you he did say home security lights can help them if placed wrong, he also said drive gravel and or a dog is also a good deterrent, you can also tell the locals as they all carry torches!.

ninakang

I wonder about all these "money saving" ideas - will we really get the benefit of the money off or will it go towards another mad scheme?

Nx

mellman01

Hi Nina no chance of you or I seeing any of it, pardon the pun!, it's like council tax it always goes up but social services just keep going down all the money went to their nice fat pension funds and that's where any cash saved will also go.

cebeem

Hello not been around had a few bad days!!!!!
The sky is fantastic without light pollution! It just hurts your neck to look at it!

DD have you done a dissertation on crime prevention? eg burgalrs torches ....how they operate etc?

Nice to be back.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zamPSMEXxKQ&feature=related

*CB*

frogmorton

Hi cebeem

good to see you back - hope you stay well for a while now

Mell

We go to a lodge in Perthsire every year and the very best thing is the DARK total dark at night. We stayed at Christma s and new year - very special and the natural light WAS part of it

Love

Toni xx

barbara12

I dont want them to turn off the street lighting...just the one in front of my bedroom window :roll:
Barbarax

cebeem

frogmorton wrote:

Hi cebeem

good to see you back - hope you stay well for a while now

Mell

We go to a lodge in Perthsire every year and the very best thing is the DARK total dark at night. We stayed at Christma s and new year - very special and the natural light WAS part of it

Love

Toni xx

Thanks Toni....we have alog cabin in Snowdonia.....dont need to turn the telly on.....just watch the stars....facinating!! *CB*

dreamdaisy

At least you can see them there. I live in an area of flat, wide skies, which at night are a lovely shade of Dale Winton. That is one reason I would love to live in the wilds of North Norfok: no lights. You can see stars - literally! DD

snowball

My cousin is a nurse and works shifts and I know she feels safer walking home when its dark with the street lights on. These people who make up these silly ideas haven't they got anything better to do :roll:

Jules

skezier

No street gt here! Big skies... loads of stars and on a full moon it casts shadows

I don't know if having them helps keep burglary down? Its so long since I lived with street lights it really is I have forgotten them really.

Did confront a prowler here though... bit scary and he followed me up here.... when I heard him squelching in the mud out side I called 999..... 55 mins later the police turned up! Just as well he wasn't out for the hurt eh?!

Still my fault... I did confront him :roll:

mummyb

Some years ago we lived in Sussex and the street lights went out every night at midnight, this was no inconvenience to the local people and I'm sure saved the council a lot of money.

oneday

this is a new post not a reply,deleted it

dreamdaisy

My neighbour parked her car last night, under one of the street lamps that cover our terrace. She has awoken this morning to find a beautifully executed spiral etched into her bonnet. It covers the entire width and depth. She is in tears, yet another insurance claim. Street lamps: a crime deterrent? Somehow I think not. It is astonishing that all the neighbours (apart from us) sleep at the front of the houses and no-one heard a thing. How noisy is it to etch a design into a bonnet? I can't bring myself to find out - either on my car or someone else's! DD

tonesp

We have lived in our little Camino in Spain for 7 years without a light We can see every star on a clear night Is Lighting a blessing Not here