LED streetlights

[Hardly Worthit]

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/21/health/led-streetlights-ama/

[Mr645]

So put a CTO gel in the lights.

[sekker]

Mr645 wrote:
So put a CTO gel in the lights.

Quiet, you -

It's more fun for people to complain than to solve the problem!

[deckeda]

The "people" are in fact solving the problem by complaining and raising the issue. It's not as if they can climb the pole and swap out lights themselves.

Intense lights with stupid, hurtful color are a legit complaint. We know that LEDs that are too blue are a crutch to boost lumens. This is a clue that they aren't yet ready for deployment or that someone tried to save money.

Almost any new commercial construction is using LED now. Your grocery store might have swapped them into the freezer section, like mine did, and with motion sensors. We've reached a tipping point where this tech is becoming the norm, and LED prices in hardware stores are reflecting this too.

But we have to get it right.

[nwyaker]

And what about those blinding newer vehicle lights ?

[M A V I C]

The other thing I noticed with these is they make visibility worse in two ways.

1. I used to be able to tell if there was a car coming, or even parked, where I couldn't see it, because of the color difference of the lights. Now they're all pretty much the same. I can't tell if a car is coming down my street when I'm turning onto it, until I actually see the car.

2. I can't see in the shadows. I tested this right after they swapped the lights. It used to be where the lights shined, I could still see in the shadows. Now the lights are brighter, and thus the objects are brighter, but then I can't see in the shadows.

[ArtP]

M A V I C wrote:
Now the lights are brighter, and thus the objects are brighter, but then I can't see in the shadows.

I also noticed that the ones in my city seem to illuminate STRAIGHT DOWN so below the light is well lit but adjacent areas not so much. Almost like a flash light.

[mikebw]

ArtP wrote:
[quote=M A V I C]
Now the lights are brighter, and thus the objects are brighter, but then I can't see in the shadows.

I also noticed that the ones in my city seem to illuminate STRAIGHT DOWN so below the light is well lit but adjacent areas not so much. Almost like a flash light.
One benefit of this directionality is reduced light pollution.

[RAMd®d]

One benefit of this directionality is reduced light pollution.

True, but light pollution is much less a problem than poor lighting.

One of features of good street lighting is a reduction in crime. I'd trade that for light pollution probably every time.

[JPK]

I see a nice class action setting up for the trial lawyers. Millions of people's retina's becoming "permanently disabled" and reducing their ability to to secure future earnings and the old loss of consortium! Throw in a little circadian rhythm disorder and class members will get $1.22 and a $5 off coupon from Sylvania & Philips!

JPK