Sustainable LED lighting can boost safety in cities

Photo: Pixabay/Leslin_Liu

Safety is a primary concern for most people, yet around 60% of people feel unsafe walking at night in their own communities. Investing in lighting that is both environmentally friendly and deters crime is a win for any community.

Sustainable lighting is a better choice overall, and neighborhoods will see the difference after making the switch.

Brighter than their counterparts, LED lights can boost productivity and keep people alert, making them excellent choices for anything from home offices to dark street corners. Brighter lights mean better-lit streets, enabling people to feel safer as they walk home.

People won’t have to worry about crime as much with brighter lights. LED lights can be bright enough to help victims identify their assailants, thus deterring crime, or allow security cameras to pick up a would-be criminal’s facial features. LED lights are also a great way to ward off corruption in a community and make a place safer.

Humans respond to light and many more people are active during the daylight hours than at night, but a brightly-lit city street gives off the appearance of activity or people being in the area. With the illusion of more people around, fewer criminals might consider striking.

Even if a community doesn’t want to keep these street lights on the whole night, they can still reap the safe benefits of switching to LED lights.

Communities can use the brightness of LED lights to their advantage by incorporating smart controls. Smart controls can allow streetlights to blink when someone nearby needs assistance, which is excellent for emergency personnel and first responders who may be searching in the dark.

Overall, smart devices can increase energy efficiency in buildings and outdoors.

The cost-effectiveness of safe and sustainable lighting

Choosing sustainable lighting is always better than the alternative. Lighting that promotes eco-friendliness often seems more expensive up front, but it pays off so well for something used infrequently. During the day, finding natural lighting shouldn’t be an issue outside.

It’s only when night falls that LED lights should switch on, illuminating the streets enough for people to feel safe to walk around as if the sun was still out.

LED lights can last almost 25 times longer than regular fluorescent bulbs, making them a worthwhile investment for any community. Because LED lights also only use around one-fourth of the same electricity fluorescent bulbs use, they’re more cost-effective and cheaper to maintain in the long run.

To further save money, communities can set these LED lights to dim or turn off when they don’t sense motion. Since LED lights can deter crime, setting them to react to movements can make people turn around if they don’t want to be seen.

Similarly, it can help someone feel safe on their walk back to their home if it’s late.

By making these street lights motion-activated, communities can save money while ensuring the safety of all who use public areas at night. While no amount of money could ever compare to people’s safety, it’s great to have savings in both areas for many communities.

Countering light pollution 

Too much light of any kind can negatively affect someone’s eyes. While LED lights can be bright, they won’t necessarily be distracting to drivers unless directly looked at.

In communities with many senior drivers, it might be advisable to consider using warmer, less distracting lights on the road while keeping the brighter LED lights reserved for pedestrian areas so people can see everything around them.

The best type of lighting for communities is, ideally, one that keeps both people and the environment safe from harm. Since LED lights are brighter than traditional fluorescent bulbs, people will feel safer walking to their cars or homes on once-dark city streets.

Community leaders and officials won’t have to worry about changing LED bulbs as often as the traditional lights, either — meaning less work for everyone while eliminating or significantly reducing the risk of a crime occurring in the heart of the city.

Nothing compares to the peace of mind in the evening and at night. With LED lighting, people can know they’re safe while their city’s sustainable lights also help protect the world around them.