Light Pollution Rant

[GettinBetter]

When I was a lad and IIRC people had to apply to the council for permission to put up an outside light, the council would more often than not reply giving permission, but would also enclose a fitting guideline leaflet advising the the permission was given on the basis that the enclosed guidelines were followed. Particular advice was given about the perimeter of the lights edge must not shine into neighbouring properties, or be seen from the road, etc etc or words to that effect.
Nowadays lights go up all and sundry at any angle and visible from space as permission isn't (doesn't seem to be) needed for most lights.
Showrooms and business forecourts with megawatt floodlights now have lights that shine down the road dazzling oncoming traffic. You can be dazzled by homeowners garden lights from miles away.

As if to compete with all this lighting the the Highways Agency has increased the brightness of traffic lights, but with no regard to the same brightness (now at lazer intensity and obliterating all peripheral vision) at night time, not to mention that the Agency has deemed two light sets at some crossings not to be enough, and put up four sets in each direction. This is particularly ridiculous in rural areas, where ambient street lighting is minimal.
If you're unlucky enough to drive anywhere near the channel tunnel crossing you'll be constantly dazzled by the hundreds of monster lighting arrays employed on the site whenever you use any of the surrounding roads, or motorway.

The human eye has its limitations and above a certain light level the sensors are saturated to the point where contrast cannot be defined. Similar to trying to watch a TV in bright sunlight where none of the pixels can outshine the sunlight and hence can't be seen. Saturation is when you catch a vehicle with HID lights full in your face.

What idiot sets the lights to be higher on the left? Someone who only drives on dead straight and dead level roads obviously, although not sure where those are in the UK!! or if we even have any.

In amongst all this glare the pedestrians are milling around at night in their latest gear (which incidently seems to be predominantly dark) in the hope that they will be spotted when they leap out in front of you.

Cyclists with less lighting capability can't compete with the myriad of brighter lights and get lost (missed) in the melee creating a dangerous environment to be in.

IMO lighting needs to be reduced, to the point where the eyes can do their job properly. Its amazing how clear things are when the eyes have adjusted to moonlight.....

Love the chain link fencing along some of the the central reservations in France, brilliantly removes the dazzling oncoming headlights.

UPDATE:
Oops...Moved due to posting in the wrong Category

[Hetzer]

The new traffic lights are a genuine hazard and how the highways agency hasn't been sued yet baffles me, because I have not an iota of doubt people have died because of them. Designed and implemented by the usual fucktarded cretins.
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"There's the horizon! Ride hard, ride fast and cut down all who stand in your way!"

[kawakid]

Light Pollution.

On New Years Eve, I took the road from Leyburn to Skipton.

I stopped the car just before Grassington and 3 kids got out and looked at the stars. It was incredible, zero light pollution.

As for townie/city drivers, they don't have a clue, any bulb will do and alignment isn't an issue.
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I've a twin and a 4.

[doggone]

Nowadays it would be relatively simple for traffic lights to respond to ambient light so they were very bright on snny days but dimmer at night.
It's usually pretty dark here but after a theft attempt neighbours almost half a mile away have two security lights come on for about 20 minutes every time triggered, then they have cats or something setting them off most of the night - you can see to read by them it's brighter than full moon light anyway.
No idea why they want them pointing horizontal rather than down at the yard.

[Sister Sledge]

Must admit that I was starting to think it was me and old age where some lights are just stupid. Those traffic lights are really dangerous because not only is the colour there but the colour spreads to hide everything in the darkness around it.

Several schemes up here come to mind. One is a dual carriageway just north of Newcastle. Utterly pointless streetlights above it - no footpaths there, nothing. It's as if vehicles don't have lights and need the streetlights to be able to drive at night.. The council received so many complaints from motorists that they've put information boards up explaining they're a trial and turned off after a certain time.

https://www.google.com/maps/@55.02774,-1.5885349,3a,22.9y,305.23h,75.78t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sLsuk1Wt5OI98d22Ofq4gMA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Still pointless lighting.

A more recent scheme near Blyth (Northumberland) has a main road with newer led lighting. Look at it at night and it appears that 20% are broken and off but they actually switch on as a vehicle passes beneath - to me that could be a good feature if utilised correctly and it doesn't use as much energy when off and waiting.

The UK seems wasteful with lighting. Over use and better management would be far better for the National Grid and it trying to cope.

Finally, I do a lot of low light photography. A favourite is to head away to where there's no light and take a photo of the light coming from a city. Skies were once orange/red and evil from light pollution from the cities but now the light is almost white and far less. That's because of led lighting and reflectors aiming the light down.
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CCM 404 DS

[Polarbear]

[RhynoCZ]

[Easy-X]

The back streets are handled by your local council - paid for out of council tax contributions - and the dual carriageways by the Highways Agency - centrally funded. They have differing priorities and funding streams.
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[Polarbear]

[GettinBetter]

[panrider_uk]

Does anyone else find the blues on police cars and ambulances excessively bright?

A while back a country road was blocked off at night by a couple of police cars with their blue lights on.

It was so bright I couldn't see the actual cars.
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Current bikes: Honda ST1100 Pan European. Moto Guzzi V85 TT Travel

[Sister Sledge]

[Polarbear]

[Sister Sledge]

Tell me about it Polarbear. Times have indeed changed. A friend reported a crime recently and of course the police did nothing but he also felt that he was in the wrong for giving them some work..
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CCM 404 DS

[Diggs]

A bit of info:

You don't need planning permission to put outside lights on domestic property. If it is a Council or Housing Association house however you may need written consent.

You don't ordinarily need planning permission to put up outside lights on commercial property either. However, if works that do need planning permission have lighting as an integral part, i.e. for security or night working, the Council can control the timing, lumens and angle of beam.

Street lights are a different kettle of fish altogether and aren't usually something members of the public can dictate or influence.

The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 does define light as a potential statutory nuisance. What this means is that Environmental Health have a duty to respond to complaints.

Hope that helps...
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[GettinBetter]

[Polarbear]

[MCN]