Life Threatening DangersIn Oxfordshire, a man was hit by a car and killed after a "security" floodlight temporarily blinded the driver. A bright floodlight, shining from a pub, had obscured his vision. The police carried out a reconstruction of the accident; a policeman noted "When I was driving towards the scene, the officer standing where Mr Smithson [the deceased] would have been was barely visible because of the security light." [source: The Oxford Mail]In "Risk compensation - the case of road lighting", published in Accident Analysis and Prevention by Assum, Bjornskau, Fosser, & Sagberg. 1999 (31:545–53. 21), the authors note that when drivers feel safer because lighting gives them improved visibility, then they may increase speed and reduce concentration, thus nullifying any perceived advantaged. As Beyer, Pond, Ker, & Roberts (2007; available here) put it, "Finally, it must be considered that approximately 10% of all road traffic crashes involve a collision with a stationary roadside object, be it a tree, a telegraph pole or a street light. Increasing the number of street lights on any given road could theoretically increase the crash potential of that road, reducing any of the safety benefit provided by street lighting.". In Belgium, 14% of accidents on motorways are caused by crashing against street lighting columns (Pas, private communication 2007). Vincent (1983) carried out a literature review of 11 previous investigations and found that there was not sufficient evidence to support the claim that lighting reduced road traffic crashes. "Vincent concluded that, despite a widespread faith in street lighting, there was scant evidence in its support." (Beyer et al 2007). In many places, for example Northampton, Gt. Yarmouth, Chester, Worthing, Milton Keynes and Skegness, councils have ordered sky-beam advertisements on night-clubs and similar establishments to be switched off on environmental and sometimes traffic safety grounds. In January 2000, Her Majesty's Planning Inspector Ava Wood classified a night-club skybeam in Guildford as an advertisement, even though no overt advertising supported it. She called it 'an alien presence in the countryside', and ordered it to be switched off. To quote Paragraph 47 of the 2000 Guildford public enquiry decision which dismissed the appeal against the switching off of a nightclub twin searchlight beam there: "47: The Highways Agency is concerned about the proposal. The lights are clearly visible from the A3 trunk road... The risks are obvious and it is unreasonable to expect evidence by way of accidents." This means that such displays can now be opposed under advertising legislation. In Australia, two planes collided as they approached the runway at Moorabbin airport. A commercial pilot with 200 hours' flying time died after her plane hit the runway in a ball of flame. Poor visibility because of the impact of surrounding lights was a factor in the crash. An optics consultant says bright surrounding lights at the airport wash out the small amount of light emitted from small aircrafts navigation lights; "You have this enormous collection of lights shining uselessly into the sky, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to see the airport and surrounding planes", he said. A member of the Aviation Medical Society was more blunt. "It's bloody hard to see over Moorabbin now. There are many lights surrounding the airport that are blinding to look at. If a pilot fixates on those lights, you can lose a lot of depth perception and the ability to judge distance. ...close to the airport runway lights and navigation lights, which are vital to safe flying, can be very difficult to find." [source: The Age] In the UK, Manchester Airport had to ask the Merseyway Centre Precinct in Stockport to switch off their skybeam on a number of occasions, due to the potential of danger to approaching aircraft (November, 2005). Bad lighting also affects shipping. For example, from the Thames Barge Sailing Club bulletin: "The Medway at night is not easy to navigate; the buoy lights disappear into the bright orange streetlights and powerful jetty lights that are everywhere. ...[We now use a] compass to guide us to the next buoy, which often was invisible until we got very close to it." [source: CfDS website] Related linksDecember, 2004BBC News: US probes 'laser-tracked' flights "US investigators are examining a spate of cases in which laser beams have been shone into the cockpits of aircraft. The most recent case was in Cleveland, Ohio, on Monday night, where a pilot says a green laser light was shone through the window of his cockpit. The light tracked with the plane for several seconds as it came in to land. The FBI, worried that terrorists may use lasers to stun and disorientate pilots, is investigating a series of similar incidents involving lasers. " |
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