Light on the Road Improves Safety

Darkened streets are a clear invitation to any kind of mishappening that can happen any time in the night. These may include accidents, thieves stealing things, kidnapping cases etc. Studies indicate that darkness leads to large number of fatalities and crashes, especially for pedestrians. These fatal accidents for pedestrians are 5 times more susceptible in the night than during the day. So, security is the major reason to install various street lights on the road. It prevents many accidents and increases safety to a great extent. With the use of street lighting, accidents and crashes have been reduced by approximately 50 percent.

There are three major purposes of road lights, and each requires different type of street lighting. These can be beacon lights, roadway lights and security lighting.
1. Beacon lights – These types of lights are installed at the meeting point of two roads. They assist the driver to see the position of side road when he/she comes closer and braking can be therefore adjusted accordingly.
2. Roadway lights – these are installed at places where there are many turning movements and signage. The intersection is lit by the roadway lighting system so that driver comes to know about all hazards.
3. Security lighting – such lighting is installed on the major busy streets in big cities, usually along sidewalks. They are also intended to improve visibility on the roads.
Some kind of lighting is really essential on roads, whether it is a rural area or urban area. It not only helps in increasing visibility, but also prevents major accidents that are more likely to happen in the dark.