Streetlight switch-off schemes

Slashing the £500m it costs to power the UK’s 7.5 million street lights with street light switch off schemes may seem like the obvious solution in light of recent budget cuts, but who’s left footing the bill?

A growing number of MPs, motoring bodies and cyclists are becoming concerned about the backlash the blackouts will have on road safety and crime. Quite simply, they believe road accidents and urban street crimes will be up when the lights go down.

But it seems you have to be switched on to switch off. In fact, councils who have already made the switch have saved an astonishing amount. Take Buckinghamshire County Council for instance.

Back in 2006, the need for more cost-effective, energy-efficient street lighting was identified by Buckinghamshire County Council due to the significant increase in energy costs compared to the increase in usage. Since 2003/2004, street lighting energy usage rose by approximately 13%. In the same period, the cost of the total street lighting energy bill rose by approximately 102%.

As part of the trial, street lights were switched off at selected rural and semi-rural locations whilst additional safety measures were employed such as the installation of Astucia SolarLite road studs. Urban areas were left untouched  across the county ensuring pedestrians and cyclists confidence on the roads.

Astucia SolarLite road studs are fast-becoming the smart, safe and sustainable additional safety measure in switch-off schemes. Since they provide 10 x greater visibility than retro-reflective studs, they ensure the light lost from streetlights doesn’t affect driver’s ability to see the road layout clearly ahead or spot potential hazards such as sharp bends or cyclists. What’s more, they’ve also been proven ro reduce night time road accidents on UK sites by as much as 70%.

Energy bills can still be kept to a minimum too thanks to the entirely sustainable operation of Astucia SolarLite studs. Since they charge and activate solely by natural sunlight, they’re a completely eco-friendly alternative.

The Buckinghamshire trials were implemented in two phases:

During phase one in August 2007, approximately 300 street lights were switched off at seven sites around the county. At four of these sites, Astucia SolarLite road studs were installed.

During phase two between May and September 2008, approximately 1,400 street lights were switched off at a further 39 sites around the county. Astucia SolarLite road studs were also installed at a great number of these sites. Buckinghamshire’s Cabinet Member for Transport, Val Letheren has stated that she is optimistic about the results:

‘I am confident this initiative will be a success and proud that Buckinghamshire is leading the way’.

But it’s not just energy we need to be concerned about. Carmarthenshire Council in South Wales, who are also planning switch-off schemes, have already received 31 complaints from troubled members of the public who feel the reduced visibility will potentially see a rise in road accidents and urban street crime. However, on the flip-side, no significant risks have been identified by the Police.

And the general public are not alone. Complaints have also been raised from the Commons Transport Select Committee chairwoman Louise Ellmann and AA president Edmund King. They argue that although only ¼ of drivers are on the roads between 7:00pm and 8:00am, 40% of car crashes occur in this time, underlining the fact that the roads need to be extra safe at these times, ensuring driver’s are fully alert.

Up and down the country, there seem to be shifting opinions on switch-off schemes. Whilst schemes such as the switch-off in Buckinghamshire targeting rural and semi rural areas have generally been well received, further down in Corby there’s wide-spread anger and apprehension about the lack of lights. There’s been such uproar in fact, that over 1,000 people have joined the Facebook group ‘Corby Street Lights’ to boycott the initiative.

Keeping perspective is key. Streetlight switch-off schemes were not conceived to create controversy or put motorists at risk on the roads. The agenda is to save money and the environment.

In February 2011, it was announced that Coventry would be the first city to benefit from the intuitive £250 million technology which enables the council to adjust brightness settings according to accident black spots and dangerous areas.

Coventry may be blazing the trail for future developments, yet those with a dim view on streetlight switch-offs shouldn’t overlook the installation of other safety alternatives such as Astucia SolarLite road studs which ensure the roads are kept clearly delineated and safe in the day and after dark.

To find out more about SolarLite road studs, click onto www.astucia.co.uk