Fotios, S., Unwin, J., & Farrall, S. (2015). Road lighting and pedestrian reassurance after dark: A review. Lighting Research and Technology, 47(4), 449–469.
Abstract: This paper concerns road lighting for pedestrians and how this aids reassurance, their confidence when walking alone after dark. Evidence from past studies that lighting enhances reassurance is supported by the findings of an unfocussed approach that aimed deliberately to avoid focus on lighting or fear, thus to counter the unintended potential for focussed, quantitative methods to lead towards such a finding. Review of the characteristics of lighting suggests an optimum illuminance of 10 lux, of high S/P ratio, and aimed toward the pedestrian and natural elements of the environment, will enhance reassurance. Further research is needed to validate the optimum illuminance, the appropriate metric for characterising lamp spectral power distribution, and the most desirable aims of spatial distribution.
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Fotios, S., & Gibbons, R. (2018). Road lighting research for drivers and pedestrians: The basis of luminance and illuminance recommendations. Lighting Research & Technology, 50(1), 154–186.
Abstract: This article discusses quantitative recommendations for road lighting as given in guidelines and standards, primarily, the amount of light. The discussion is framed according to the type of road user, the driver and the pedestrian, these being the user groups associated with major and minor roads, respectively. Presented first is a brief history of road lighting standards, from early to current versions, and, where known, the basis of these standards. Recommendations for the amount of light do not appear to be well-founded in robust empirical evidence, or at least do not tend to reveal the nature of any evidence. This suggests a need to reconsider recommended light levels, a need reinforced by recent developments in the science and technology of lighting and of lighting research. To enable improved recommendations, there is a need for further evidence of the effects of changes in lighting: This article therefore discusses the findings of investigations, which might be considered when developing new standards.
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Steinbach, R., Perkins, C., Tompson, L., Johnson, S., Armstrong, B., Green, J., et al. (2015). The effect of reduced street lighting on road casualties and crime in England and Wales: controlled interrupted time series analysis. J. Epidemiol. Community Health, 69(11).
Abstract: Background: Many local authorities in England and Wales have reduced street lighting at night to save money and reduce carbon emissions. There is no evidence to date on whether these reductions impact on public health. We quantified the effect of 4 street lighting adaptation strategies (switch off, part-night lighting, dimming and white light) on casualties and crime in England and Wales.
Methods: Observational study based on analysis of geographically coded police data on road traffic collisions and crime in 62 local authorities. Conditional Poisson models were used to analyse longitudinal changes in the counts of night-time collisions occurring on affected roads during 2000–2013, and crime within census Middle Super Output Areas during 2010–2013. Effect estimates were adjusted for regional temporal trends in casualties and crime.
Results: There was no evidence that any street lighting adaptation strategy was associated with a change in collisions at night. There was significant statistical heterogeneity in the effects on crime estimated at police force level. Overall, there was no evidence for an association between the aggregate count of crime and switch off (RR 0.11; 95% CI 0.01 to 2.75) or part-night lighting (RR 0.96; 95% CI 0.86 to 1.06). There was weak evidence for a reduction in the aggregate count of crime and dimming (RR 0.84; 95% CI 0.70 to 1.02) and white light (RR 0.89; 95% CI 0.77 to 1.03).
Conclusions: This study found little evidence of harmful effects of switch off, part-night lighting, dimming, or changes to white light/LEDs on road collisions or crime in England and Wales.
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Davidovic, M., Djokic, L., Cabarkapa, A., & Kostic, M. (2018). Warm white versus neutral white LED street lighting: Pedestrians' impressions. Lighting Research & Technology, in press, 147715351880429.
Abstract: The subjective impressions of pedestrians are necessary in order to decide on the appropriate colour of light to be used for street lighting. Therefore, a pilot project aimed to compare subjective evaluations of the sidewalk illumination under two street lighting installations, realised by LEDs of 3000 K (warm white) and 4000 K (neutral white), was recently conducted in Belgrade. Both installations had comparable sidewalk illuminances as well as other relevant photometric parameters. The evaluation was done through a questionnaire. A group of 139 (61 male and 78 female) respondents, all of them university students, was asked to grade both lighting installations for the sidewalk light intensity, the appearance of human faces, the colour of light and the colour rendering as well as the overall impression. According to the median values, the 3000 K LED installation was considered better than the 4000 K installation for all aspects assessed as well as the overall impression. Although the survey results convincingly showed a preference for 3000 K LEDs for this comparison, additional research is needed using a more representative sample of people and a wider range of locations before a definite conclusion can be reached.
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Marchant, P. R. (2017). Why Lighting Claims Might Well Be Wrong. Intl J of Sustainable Lighting, 19(1), 69–74.
Abstract: This paper gives some background to claims of benefit from road lighting and why large beneficial claims may be suspect. It places this in the context of general concerns about the unreliability of claims in science using knowledge gained, particularly from investigations in the field of health-care. It points to the need to plan, proceed and check science in unbiased and rigorous ways. It gives recommendations for more transparency, asks for clear protocols to be produced in advance, that clear reports are written which follow appropriate reporting guidelines and that the data is accessible.
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