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The last 3 towns I've lived in had all adopted outdoor lighting standards specifically intended to reduce light pollution. None of these standards were particularly new...my current city's were put in place almost 20 years ago. A copy of the standards were attached to my new garage's building permit and I seem to recall seeing the same standards incorporated into my previous HOA's covenants. It contains lots of specific guidance about fixture design, shielding, glare reduction, uplighting, prohibitions on light "trespass", lasers, searchlights, etc.
Unfortunately, that doesn't prevent subsequent owners of existing buildings from retrofitting all sorts of obnoxious lights of their own or prevent scofflaw behavior: leaving their property lit up like an oil refinery every night. It requires complaints from neighbors to stop that sort of nonsense. Those who care, respect. Those who don't, won't. As usual, for some people it's all about them. They're special...and above the law. Just don't understand people who move to more rural areas to escape city unpleasantries but turn around and light them like the same city they left...to feel "secure"!
Last edited by Parnassia; 06-01-2023 at 12:58 PM..
Interesting take, as light pollution refers to excessive outside lights drowning out the view of the stars at night, while you are discussing LED lights causing issues with people driving vehicles.
Not necessarily.
Most light pollution has to do with commercial and industrial activity. When doing vulnerability and liability assessments for companies, I always advocated a good-neighbor policy. That includes proper landscaping to hide the facility while simultaneously make it safe for walkers, joggers, and bikers on the sidewalks around the facility to eliminate the bushes/trees/brush that makes convenient hiding places for muggers and rapists.
That also included taking light-meter readings to determine illumination in foot-candles, and most parking lots the light poles are unnecessarily higher than they need to be and have the wrong bulbs. That goes a long way to reducing light pollution.
Quote:
Originally Posted by djmilf
As for stationary LED lights blinding drivers, a word to the local police department might be in order.
It's a waste of time. Only the State legislature can effect the appropriate changes, and in some States, that might allow counties/cities to adopt appropriate ordinances.
So long as the lights meet with the approval of existing laws by any federal or State highway safety agency, they can be used.
My Mountain Time zone 250,000 population community has a policy for exterior and site lighting. Design must minimize glare and illuminance. Ambient levels have rural, suburban and urban light trespass limitations. Footcandle measurment is measured at six feet above grade at property line.
If there is rezoning a photometrics plan has to be provided which addresses the entire site.
While walking neighborhoods before sunup a baseball hat is necessary. Statistics show homes functioning under an all night light scheme have more break-ins than those which remain dark. Providing the source that a criminal needs, light, isn't bright.
Advertising door, window, garage as gate entry points is a product resource and energy waste.
If I were planning to be a burglar, I'd research like crazy before I struck. I'd carry a notebook. Let's see at this house, every day, the car is missing from the driveway from 8-5. Then look to the neighbors, and perhaps their car is missing from 8-5, all working. Then, next move, I knock on the door to see if a dog should bark. No bark, hooray, hooray!
I wrote up crime reports for the Hennepin County Sheriff's Dept. back in the 70's and most of the burglaries were in the day time, in the higher class suburbs of western Minneapolis. The burglar: Boy! To own a house like this, both parents must be working, and the kids are at school.
My handyman roommate was doing some work on a house down the street, he was repairing something in the front of the house, he put his bike on the side of the house, and at 2pm in the afternoon, some brazen individual hopped on the bike and sped away. Now, if the security lights had been on at 2pm in the afternoon, perhaps the bike might not having gotten stolen?
Thanks so, so much for the response I've received so far.
If I were planning to be a burglar, I'd research like crazy before I struck. I'd carry a notebook. Let's see at this house, every day, the car is missing from the driveway from 8-5. Then look to the neighbors, and perhaps their car is missing from 8-5, all working. Then, next move, I knock on the door to see if a dog should bark. No bark, hooray, hooray!
I wrote up crime reports for the Hennepin County Sheriff's Dept. back in the 70's and most of the burglaries were in the day time, in the higher class suburbs of western Minneapolis. The burglar: Boy! To own a house like this, both parents must be working, and the kids are at school.
My handyman roommate was doing some work on a house down the street, he was repairing something in the front of the house, he put his bike on the side of the house, and at 2pm in the afternoon, some brazen individual hopped on the bike and sped away. Now, if the security lights had been on at 2pm in the afternoon, perhaps the bike might not having gotten stolen?
Thanks so, so much for the response I've received so far.
We see the same here, for the most part house break-ins are, or were before Covid, during the day for the reasons you mentioned. Nighttime home invasions, while rare where I am are typically tied into something else, usually connected to drugs.
I'm in favor of light pollution. Too many accidents, more crime, out of towners can't find places in unfamiliar areas. We have wrong way drivers because so many ramps are dark. I say brighten everything up!
We need large store signs with lights! More street lights. More parking lot lights. Landscaping lights. Every home should have a porch light.
My Mountain Time zone 250,000 population community has a policy for exterior and site lighting. Design must minimize glare and illuminance. Ambient levels have rural, suburban and urban light trespass limitations. Footcandle measurment is measured at six feet above grade at property line.
If there is rezoning a photometrics plan has to be provided which addresses the entire site.
While walking neighborhoods before sunup a baseball hat is necessary. Statistics show homes functioning under an all night light scheme have more break-ins than those which remain dark. Providing the source that a criminal needs, light, isn't bright.
Advertising door, window, garage as gate entry points is a product resource and energy waste.
To the bold part. Everything I have ever seen says exactly the opposite of that. Dark yards give the criminals a place to hide when breaking into your house.
EDIT: I done some research and the majority of break ins happen between 10am and 3pm while most are at work. For the few that happen at night motion sensor lights are said to reduce break ins while constant lights do not make as much difference.
Most break ins are by someone who lives in the area and are done by males 25 years old or younger. It also says houses in the middle of the block and/or have an empty lot beside them are more prone to break ins. The most interesting thing to me was most burglars will knock on your door first to make sure you are not home.
I'm in favor of light pollution. Too many accidents, more crime, out of towners can't find places in unfamiliar areas. We have wrong way drivers because so many ramps are dark. I say brighten everything up!
We need large store signs with lights! More street lights. More parking lot lights. Landscaping lights. Every home should have a porch light.
Lights are fine. They just need to point down, not illuminate the sky. There should be laws for all the lights pointing up and the digital billboards.
Recent study found out that in some cases lights INCREASED crime. Burglars don't want to be seen with flashlights. They need bright light to operate. Flashlights look suspicious. It kinda makes sense, no?
Apparently, rates of vehicle theft are lower in darkened streets compared to more well-lit streets.
When lighting is switched off after midnight the streets are likely to be in near darkness, which means that any would-be offenders may find it challenging to see if there are any valuable goods left unsecured in vehicles, so offenders may choose to move elsewhere to fulfil their intentions.
Crossroads and ramps should be lit. Small, neighborhood streets that have no traffic at night, rural roads should be dark.
I am all for motion lights as I see them overseas.
Norway is an example of a country using intelligent lights, with auto-dimming, which become fully lit only when a vehicle is nearby.
Many secondary streets where I now live are dimly lit till there is movement, then they switch to full light.
”Being Bright Isn't Right” was the title of a handout generated at the college print shop. As mailroom operator I delivered these copies to the lead Criminal Justice instructor. Distributed to the current class, 2008-2010 time frame, enrollment was usually 24-30 daytime students. Attendance for the evening program is unknown.
The title captured my attention and still is ingrained. Presume they knew what the city, county or regional statistics were.
Not a numbers person, did no research to see if they were correct.
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