Highway Lighting

[hkskyline]

Many large highways are not lit in rural areas. Experts say that keeps drivers on alert and vehicle lights are sufficient to drive safely during the night. Is that the case for your country's rural highways?

Highway safety advocates push for U.S. 280 changes
30 September 2006

HARPERSVILLE, Ala. (AP) - Highway deaths on U.S. 280 have given life to a safety drive led by a group called 280 Light of Life.

The group plans a candlelight vigil Sunday at 8 p.m. at North Shelby Baptist Church on U.S. 280 to call attention to at least 12 victims of fatal traffic crashes on a stretch of the highway east of Alabama 119 to Harpersville.

Organizer Angela Madison's daughter, Kayton, is among the victims. Kayton died in November 2002 in a wreck on Double Oak Mountain, about a mile from North Shelby Baptist.

The candles will stand for hope that no more lives will be lost on the highway, she said.

Madison and a group of neighbors, friends and co-workers at Wilsonville Elementary School formed the highway safety group.

"We aren't opposed to anything out there that will make that highway safer. Lighting would be nice, because it's so dark when you top the mountain; and, of course, we want the traffic lights at (Shelby County) 41 and 43," Madison said.

She said drivers also must take responsibility.

"We can't blame all of 280's problems on the Department of Transportation," she said. "We are responsible for each other out there. I know everyone is busy, but you cannot replace a life."

At Sunday's vigil, Madison will read a poem she wrote about the number of crosses along 280 depicting highway deaths.

In part it reads, "Open your eyes and look around at the weathered stakes upon the ground."

[ChrisZwolle]

Near interchanges, and complex situations, lighting is a good thing. You can see those situations better and earlier than without lighting. So here in NL, all interchanges with other Motorways are lighted. But not on ordinary stretches of motorway in rural areas. That is also not necessary, it gives too much lighting pollution, and i must say; driving without lighting is better, on long straight roads.

In Belgium, all motorways are lit, because they have an overcapacity in their nuclear power stations.

[DrJoe]

When you say "rural highway" are you talking about a dual-carriage or just a 2 lane?

[hkskyline]

When you say "rural highway" are you talking about a dual-carriage or just a 2 lane?
It could be a 4-lane highway whereby both directions are separated by a median.

[mrtfreak]

Malaysia's North-South Highway has stretches in between states and towns/interchanges that are not lit. The same goes for the Central North-South Link Expressway (ELITE to KL International Airport) there.

[superchan7]

Probably due to Hong Kong's small size, every single road and highway is brightly lit.

Hypothetically speaking, you don't even need your headlights. Of course, obeying the law and having redundant safety precautions means you should always use your lights at night.

[Calvin W]

It would be impossible to light all rural 2 and 4 lane highways in Saskatchewan. There is something like 60 000 km of paved roads in this province. At all major intersections the highway is lighted. Good enough for us.The rest would be a waste of money!

[invincible]

The other problem with these highways is that there isn't necessarily a power source nearby for lights. I don't think it's necessary at all to have rural highways lit. At intersections, yes but elsewhere your headlights should be enough.

[muc]

Lighting all large Highways also in rural regions would be a waste of energy in monstrous proportions.

Ok it would probably improve safety a bit. But there are other constuctive measures you can take to improve safety that would cost much less and will be more effective. Like making sure the surface of the roads is in good condition, with good markings. Improving the line of sight in critical areas. Seperate the directions in dangerous curves. Etc...

[Ted Ward]

Ive driven many miles on pitch black Australian roads - Those reflective 'cats eyes' are sufficient.

[EricIsHim]

The main problem is dirver driving too fast in good or bad condition.
If you drive near the speed limit, your headlight is enough to guide you thru the road. However, when people are driving too fast, vehicle headlight won't give you enough sight distance in the dark to response.

In Connecticut, Rt15 is a four lanes expressway, posted speed limit 55mph For the most part, there is no street light except at major interchanges. At night, it is pitch black on the road. But, a lot of drivers go 80-90 mph. The road isn't designed for such high speed as it was built decades and decades ago and there is limitations in improving an old road.

[hkskyline]

Cat eyes are fairly rare in North America. However, they're limited to lane delineation, and does little help in improving the range of sight.

[Calvin W]

If you really want to make highways safe at night there is a easy solution. Ban night driving. Problem Solved. If not accidents will happen no matter how much lighting there is.

[ChrisZwolle]

So the highways get's more overcrowded at daylight? And what about trucktraffic and distribution? They have to drive at night to supply distribution centers and shops.

[cjav]

all the US needs is a actual drivers license.. not some paper that comes with the cornflakes.. improved driving skills will do alot more..

[hkskyline]

Do some jurisdictions have restrictions on truck travel during the day time? I'd rather have the huge trucks confined to the night time and not get in the way of civilian rush hour.

[DrJoe]

^ No way that would work. In a place like the GTA trucks mean business, if they aren't allowed on the road business would stop.

[salvius]

Do some jurisdictions have restrictions on truck travel during the day time? I'd rather have the huge trucks confined to the night time and not get in the way of civilian rush hour.

Oh, I wish!

[ChrisZwolle]

Roads are ment for transportation. How do you buy your food, clothes, electronics, camera for highrise-photography etc, without trucks? Distribution works already 24/7.

[FallenGuard]

In Luxembourg, all major Highways are lit by a dull, yellowish Light. When I compare that with non-lit Highways elsewhere, I can say that this is a good solution.
Especially after a long drive, the soft illumination is very relaxing to the eyes, because you don't have to constantly stare in the bright spot of your car lights anymore.
So in conclusion, Vision and concentration are much better on illuminated Highways, which has of course an impact on safety.

(IMHO like everything, of course)
FG

[Skybean]

Cat eyes should be mandatory everywhere. They are really helpful.

In Toronto, roads are extremely well lit - to an extent that it's almost overdone. You have enough light to read a newspaper.

[hkskyline]

I find Toronto's residential side streets to be very poorly lit. It's quite dark down there. I doubt it is economically feasible or necessary to light these quiet streets too brightly.

[EricIsHim]

I find Toronto's residential side streets to be very poorly lit. It's quite dark down there. I doubt it is economically feasible or necessary to light these quiet streets too brightly.

Neighbourhood might not want to b e too bright also.
Too bright will affect the indoor life.

[EricIsHim]

Cat eyes should be mandatory everywhere. They are really helpful.

In Toronto, roads are extremely well lit - to an extent that it's almost overdone. You have enough light to read a newspaper.

Cat eyes are quite expensive, it will signicficantly increase the cost of project.
Second, many people do steal them from the road and sell for money.

[invincible]

Haven't heard of cat's eyes being stolen and sold before. Over here, they're found on basically all urban roads, with reflectors on posts for rural roads instead.

We get rumble strips on the sides of highways in the country as well.

[sbarn]

'Cat eyes' or 'Bot Dots' are used all over California:

http://www.westcoastroads.com/california/images075/i-080_wb_exit_008a_04.jpg

Most states don't use them though... other than California, Washington, Oregon and Hawaii.

[ChrisZwolle]

Yeah, but here, they are used instead of markings. In Europe, we use reflecting markings, only very old road markings neets cat's eyes, because they don't reflect.

[Penhorn]

Lately in Halifax they've been splurging a bit on extra streetlights in new interchanges:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h140/halpic/hwy118.jpg
(New highway 118 improvementsoutside of Dartmouth)

[DrJoe]

^ Well Halifax is a regional power, it probably makes sense.

There are a few spots around Toronto that probably have overkill

http://www.onthighways.com/hwy_407-409_images/407_cl_59_west_t_Aug04.jpg

They have to build this lower light fixtures around this area because of proximity to the airport.
http://www.onthighways.com/hwy_401_images/401_cl_346_west.jpg

[LtBk]

NVM

[KIWIKAAS]

Yeah, but here, they are used instead of markings. In Europe, we use reflecting markings, only very old road markings neets cat's eyes, because they don't reflect.

You dont use cats eyes in the Netherlands and Northern Europe (and the northern US) because they interfere with snowplows when it snows. In southern Europe cats eyes are used too.
Btw. the ''reflective'' paint (used in the Netherlands) aint that reflective and the Netherlands has never used cats eyes on a large scale (even on old roads).

[invincible]

Freeways probably need the least lighting out of any sort of road (indeed, a few freeways here have no lights at all) because they lack tight curves and intersections.

[Encore]

Here in Belgium just every street has lighting. It's incredible!!
Sometimes it's too much, almost every 20 meters!

[jchernin]

Cat eyes are fairly rare in North America.

i was gonna say, r u kidding? california has them EVERYWHERE. maybe the exception is snow areas, but even then they often just 'bury' them into the asphalt.

'Cat eyes' or 'Bot Dots' are used all over California:

Most states don't use them though... other than California, Washington, Oregon and Hawaii.

[KIWIKAAS]

'Cat eyes' or 'Bot Dots' are used all over California:

Most states don't use them though... other than California, Washington, Oregon and Hawaii.

What about Arizona, Nevada, Texas, New Mexico

[ChrisZwolle]

Cats Eyes can be destroyes when a snow plow is clearing the road. That's the reason why they aren't used in the Northern States.

[Rebasepoiss]

^^ If you mean reflective pieces between lanes as cats eyes, then we use them in Estonia too. The problem with these is that they get dirty very easily so they're seen well only on rather new roads.

[TheCat]

In Israel many 2-lane roads have cat-eyes, especially on the two outer edges of the road (the middle doesn't always have them). With Israel's many mountainous winding roads these are very useful for safety. In general, Israel has very good markings on the edges of the road. If cat-eyes are not present, there is always at least a yellow line at the outer edge (unlike in North America, in Israel the yellow line delineates the outer edge of the road).

In Ontario, from my limited experience, 2-lane roads have cat-eyes only on tight curves. For example, while driving on Highway 26 north of Toronto, I encountered them whenever there was a curve (they had an interesting bluish glow to them, as opposed to the standard reflection), but otherwise they do not exist.

I also don't like the fact that in many countries, including Canada, the outer edges of the road are often unmarked because of old age (i.e. from what I understand, a solid white line is always painted but it is rarely repainted on time when roads age). Highway 26 which I mentioned previously has great markings, but some other highways, like Highways 9 and 10, don't. As I already stated before, in my opinion the outer edges are much more important than centre markings for night driving, since as long as you can see the edge line and avoid crossing it, while keeping as close to it as possible from its left side, you should be fine.

But regarding cat-eyes, the snow plough argument is interesting, I never thought of it before. Perhaps this is the reason they aren't used as much in Canada (at least in Ontario), although I think it's mostly a cost issue.

[KIWIKAAS]

But regarding cat-eyes, the snow plough argument is interesting, I never thought of it before. Perhaps this is the reason they aren't used as much in Canada (at least in Ontario), although I think it's mostly a cost issue.

I think it has more to do with snow ploughs than cost.

Cats eyes are unbeatable for night visability

[Jeroen669]

http://www.onthighways.com/hwy_401_images/401_cl_346_west.jpg

This kind of lightning really destroys the landscape... Why so many lampposts? And why are they so insane high?

[sonysnob]

^ This offers one of the neatest driving experiences I have ever done at night. If you enter this part of the 401 from the 403 Mississagua, coming from the high level ramp, all you can see is the stream of highway lighting -- its actually amazing. Before highmast became popular around 1990, all of the 401 through Toronto was lit with this type of lighting.

[Rebasepoiss]

^^ Low masts sure do create visual pollution, but high masts create more light pollution. So which is a better solution?

[Jeroen669]

How about do you guys think about 'lijnverlichting'? Unfortunately I don't know the english translation, but this is how it looks like:

http://www.geocities.com/lantaarnpalen_zijn_mooi/lijnverlichting2.jpg

And this is what it looks like during night:

http://www.autosnelwegen.nl/asw/pics/fotowedstrijd/nov06-09.jpg

Not my pictures, btw.

[OriK]

In Spain we have "reflective pieces" in both sides of almost all roadways, in motorways are also very used in intersections, but I think that I haven't seen there as lane delimiters, instead that, we have reflective painting and when one of your car's wheel is over the last right/left line, it produces an scandalous sound.

And here the rural highways are only lit in intersections.

See u!

[sonysnob]

^ Thats pretty funky lighting. I wouldn't mind seeing that in North America.

This is a common desing in several US states.
http://www.canhighways.com/NY/PHOTOS/I190_NY_13.jpg

[storms991]

This kind of lightning really destroys the landscape... Why so many lampposts? And why are they so insane high?

Why jeopardize the safety of passengers in exchange for aesthetics? The area is ugly in the first place, there really isn't a landscape to destroy; the only "landscape" I can see is the immense concrete jungle, which really isn't beautiful anyway.
The lamps are so high because the light will be able to light up a larger area.

[x-type]

^^ google a little bit about light pollution ;)
birds are flying over Manhattan, too

[cpm_seattle]

Whatever anybody does anywhere... at least plum the posts and align them! In Washington State, the DOT is notorious for "aesthetically poor" (in my opinion) lighting design. In-and-out. Up-and-down. Ugly. But there are some nice exceptions... like I-5 between Fort Lewis and The Tacoma Mall. I took this shot from the South Tacoma Way Bridge/Overpass (just south of Hwy 512) in February...

http://cpm-seattle.smugmug.com/photos/257997834_mUqwm-L.jpg

[Jeroen669]

Why jeopardize the safety of passengers in exchange for aesthetics? The area is ugly in the first place, there really isn't a landscape to destroy; the only "landscape" I can see is the immense concrete jungle, which really isn't beautiful anyway.
The lamps are so high because the light will be able to light up a larger area.

The necessary evil itself (the highway) can be put much nicer in the landscape. And indeed, american interstates are not well known for that...

[Glodenox]

As mentioned before, almost all Belgian highways are illuminated. Not just a stroke, but the whole length. At around midnight (or even 11 pm?) though, only the intersections get illuminated. Most regional roads stay illuminated the whole night however. The more recent highways often aren't illuminated either.

If you wish to see this yourself, be sure to check out ChrisZwolle's picture thread (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=554629). Almost all images of Belgium contain at least one lamppost :)

The Belgian Roadway system is said to be the only visible man-made structure visible with the naked eye from the moon at night due to the lightning.

Greetings,
Glodenox

[LordMandeep]

those 150 feet tall super lights are becoming popular in Canada.

There really tall and they can be seen from quite a distance.

[Rail Claimore]

^ No way that would work. In a place like the GTA trucks mean business, if they aren't allowed on the road business would stop.

It works here in Chicago. Drive along any expressway or tollway at 3AM and you'll seem more trucks than you will at 3PM. This is especially true on the Tri-state Tollway. It's the only way our interstates can function when they're typically only 3 lanes each direction.

[LordMandeep]

Wierd....


Both cities are major fright and distribution points.

[Jardoga]

typical Perth freeway lighting

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200711/r198767_758392.jpg

[Ingenioren]

In southern Belgium, some motorways are dark as well. But in Norway all motorways have lampposts (only country in the world?), and all heavy traficated 2 lane roads... Personally i think lampposts are beautiful and smart! Keep us from running into crossing mooses, wich is are very common accidents up here...

[zaphod]

beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I think sometimes freeways with lighting are cool looking

[hkskyline]

I've read some studies that noted unlit highways are actually safer because drivers need to pay more attention on the road.

[Ingenioren]

What about when you drive 100 km/h and a moose is in the middle of the road?=P

[RawLee]

This is how we lit the roads outside city limits:

































http://admin.portal.martincaraudio.hu/upload/Image/Sanyi%20mappa/havasut_volvo.jpg

[hkskyline]

What about when you drive 100 km/h and a moose is in the middle of the road?=P

Well, a loose moose will still do considerable damage to a car if it decides to dart out from nowhere onto a lit highway.

[RoadUser]

This kind of very tall lighting with 6 lights on top is used at practically all highway interchanges in Israel. This is Road 6, which is only lit at its junctions.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/Kvish6fromHorashim.JPG/800px-

Other than that, I would say that a higher than average proportion of highways in Israel are lit all the way along, but by no means all of them.

A mixture of lamp post types on Road 4:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Kvish-4-Isr001.jpg/800px-Kvish-4-Isr001.jpg

Ayalon Freeway - Tel Aviv:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Littleuni_13.jpg

All pics from Wikipedia.

[earthJoker]

So the highways get's more overcrowded at daylight? And what about trucktraffic and distribution? They have to drive at night to supply distribution centers and shops.
Intresting, trucks are not allowed to drive at night in Switzerland.

[ChrisZwolle]

Lärmschutz? And at which times?

[Jeroen669]

I know from Austria there's a truck prohibition between 22:00 and 05:00. Only trucks with a special Lärmschutz label (green sign with a 'L' in it on the front of the truck) are allowed to drive at those times. Maybe something similar in Switzerland?

[hkskyline]

^ How often are these enforced though? Would they have road-blocks just to catch the violaters? I can't imagine a police officer trying to spot that small sticker in the middle of the night.

[earthJoker]

Lärmschutz? And at which times?
Yes. Between 22:00 and 5:00, and the whole sunday and on national-holydays (x-mess, eastern...) it has been introduced in the 1930-ies.
You need a special permit if you need to transport something at these times. Usually you see almost only milk transports at night.
^ How often are these enforced though? Would they have road-blocks just to catch the violaters?
It is enforced in Switzerland.

[Augusto]

How about do you guys think about 'lijnverlichting'? Unfortunately I don't know the english translation, but this is how it looks like:

http://www.geocities.com/lantaarnpalen_zijn_mooi/lijnverlichting2.jpg

Nice lighting. Outside the NL I've only seen that France on the Lyon's ring road, on a short section on testing on the A1 near Lille and in Johannesburg, South Africa.

[Augusto]

Here it is, taken from an other SSC forum:
http://tammuz.interinter.net/system/uploads/c/5/2ce3de0ad9043ea8e8ccb77fd6203b/large.jpg?1180466942