Those lanky, towering, obscure lights illuminating lonely, gloomy passages which would otherwise be enveloped in a dark, atramentous shadow are often forgotten and taken for granted. Yes, it is street lights that I am talking about. They take the fright away from the night and give streets a nice touch of golden shine. Admit it, when walking home in the dark you've peered over your shoulder at least once, just to make sure that there wasn't an odd man lurking behind your footsteps. Those rapid heartbeats, sweaty palms and anxious feelings- all because you’re not sure of what’s around you- and that’s the exact reason why street lights were introduced.
The earliest lamps were found in ancient Greek and Roman civilizations as an aid in security at night. They protected people from tripping over and also to keep burglars and other looters at bay. Around 2500 years later, in 1879, the first electric street light was lit in the UK in Mosley Street, Newcastle upon Tyne. 134 years later, in February 2013, the first LED street light was lit in Turnpike Link, Croydon.
For those who don’t know, LED stands for light-emitting diode. These devices produce very bright light with very little heat, which makes them very energy efficient. LED street lights are becoming increasing popular between councils in the UK, with similar lighting being introduced in Sheffield, Bromley and Salford. Though they do their job, do they really fulfil it?
When I noticed the strange white shine it was bitter on my eyes and it gave me a sense of a spooky ghost town. Energy saving as important as it is, these lights just do not make the night any safer. They create a spotlight effect- the light shone is concentrated in one section and not dispersed to a wide area. This inhibits them from lighting up the majority of the road and as a result, has made many residents feel unsafe and that there will be an increased risk of burgling as there are more dark areas in the street.
Lucky for us, my back garden has a street lamp directly above it, so most of our garden has light shining on it, but for many other gardens this is not the case. I interviewed one such resident. She said that these lights have made her feel secluded and unsafe. Her garden which was once had a nice glow on it has now got no source of light shining. Being a semi-detached house located at the corner of a row of houses, there is a street light on the opposite side of the street but it is now not sufficient enough in keeping the entire corner bright. Her house has already been burgled once and she is now in the fear that it will happen again.
Another neighbour commented, “The lights are quite different, but the fact that there are so few of them doesn't help. They should set up more poles so more lights can be put up so the street is brighter”
Are these white lights revolutionary or just not fit for the job? Are they worth the saved money or too good to be true? Do we not have the right to feel safe in our own homes and have a peaceful night of sleep? We all have our own views, but only time will tell what the future of the LED street lights will be.
