An unlit or poorly lit street can be synonymous with an unsafe street. The main reason, as recently warned by members of the State Security Forces and Corps and published in the media, is that with less light it is easier for criminals to commit crimes, as it will not be easy to see or recognise them.
In fact, at night we citizens tend to avoid streets with little light, even unconsciously. We usually prefer to go on roads where we can see who is passing by and, if we suspect that something might happen, we will have more room for manoeuvre and response, such as changing direction, changing pavements, being on the defensive or having the phone at hand to call someone, if necessary.
In addition, the lack of light can also lead to an increase in accidents involving vehicles, especially those that are smaller and do not have as much light capacity, such as bicycles or skateboards. In a poorly lit street, car drivers sometimes do not notice these vehicles, especially when they are about to make a turn, overtake quickly or are at a junction or roundabout.
In fact, studies have shown that in previously poorly lit streets that are now sufficiently lit, the crime rate has decreased significantly. In the presence of light, criminals think twice before committing any kind of theft or crime.
Intelligent lighting
For this reason, public administrations should take this into account when designing the lighting strategy for cities, especially at night. It is true that nowadays, due to the energy crisis, decisions are being taken more in the direction of savings, in anticipation of a possible shortage of resources during the winter.
However, one of the alternatives to lighting less and creating a feeling of insecurity in the absence of light – something that will happen earlier and earlier in the coming months – is to renovate the luminaires. Many cities still have old and inefficient streetlights from the point of view of savings, especially in more peripheral neighbourhoods. This would be less wasteful if they were replaced by other types of lights, such as LEDs.
In addition, intelligent lighting systems can also be used. These systems are able to detect the movement of people and vehicles. In this way, when they notice the presence of someone, they will light up, sometimes progressively and sometimes in specific areas or zones.
These systems allow cities to make significant savings, as they will not be activated during hours when there is no traffic, with the consequent savings. In addition, as it does not get dark and dawn at the same time every day, the lighting system can also be configured according to that situation, as happens when it is cloudy or depending on the state of the moon. depending on the state of the moon.
At NTE we work with the most efficient systems
For this reason, at NTE we work to have the most efficient and modern lighting systems. We try to ensure that our customers have the ones that best suit their needs without this translating into excessive expenditure when it comes to turning on the power switch.
The equipment we have allows us to ensure that the lighting of streets and the most emblematic buildings is efficient without sacrificing quality.
