Street lights

[PhilzAlfa]

I do get fed up with the way that councils seem to think they can do what the hell the want and are answerable to nobody.

The latest ploy around here is to turn off street lights at night to save the council money. Great. So if I go out on foot, (God forbid that I may go out drinking late or something over the Xmas period), what am I supposed to do? Take a torch and carry it around the bars with me?

We aren't talking about a little bit of darkness here, we are talking WW2 blackout darkness. Supposing I don't take a torch and end up falling over and breaking a leg. Can I sue the council for damages? Surely providing adequate street lighting is one of their legal obligations along with rubbish collections etc? Apart from safety issues, it is bound to encourage crime.

[Joss]

Not sure if it is TBH. How many villages are there with no street lights at all. I think it's more a courtesy than a requirement

[Elfred]

eh? So are you saying we have to light up the whole country just in case you want to go out at night and can't be bothered to take a torch with you

[kiscix]

As a flip side to this, the council round here just replaced all the street lights at a cost of millions (probably) to energy saving ones.

Which is great, except they are brighter than the sun. And if your bedroom window happens to be near one, good luck sleeping...

[PhilzAlfa]

Originally Posted by Elfred

eh? So are you saying we have to light up the whole country just in case you want to go out at night and can't be bothered to take a torch with you

If you live in a town or city I think it's reasonable to expect a certain level of lighting, yes. By choosing to live in a built-up area I'm effectively opting not to live in a place which I know will be unlit at night. I think councils should be forced to consult the public on such issues.

On a slightly different slant, I see they are now turning off motorway lights in certain areas to save energy. Yet it appears to be perfectly acceptable to use power to light up huge, bright motorway signs, 24 hours a day, with inane messages like "take extra care while towing", "don't drink and drive", or "think about bikes". I'm getting mixed messages about energy saving

[WTFH]

Originally Posted by Joss

Not sure if it is TBH. How many villages are there with no street lights at all.

Ours!

The issue in our village is that we've been told we can't have a 30mph speed limit through the village without lights. Locals don't drive fast through here. Numbnuts in Saxos and BMWs do. How would you feel if you walked out the front door of a pub and had a car doing 60mph past you "because that was the speed limit" - not a safe speed to drive at.

[mick.p.]

Some of the street lights around my way have recently gone dimmer than normal, in a "saving" sort of way I assume.
Others do not come on until they recognise movement in their area, motion sensors?
It all sounds like a good idea, but it will take some getting used to, the dimness I mean.

On the point of lights being turned off, if the lights are actualy there, but switched off, and you injure yourself because of bad or no lighting, would it not (technically) be the councils responibility?

Mick.

[mick.p.]

Originally Posted by WTFH

Ours!

The issue in our village is that we've been told we can't have a 30mph speed limit through the village without lights. Locals don't drive fast through here. Numbnuts in Saxos and BMWs do. How would you feel if you walked out the front door of a pub and had a car doing 60mph past you "because that was the speed limit" - not a safe speed to drive at.

The problem is, if the speed limit is 60, them the maximum speed that you are allowed to drive at is, wait for it, 60.

A few years ago a man I know had an accident in a 60 limit (unlit country lane).
The police officer that was handling the case said, just in conversation, that he was driving too fast. My mate pointed out that the police had worked his speed out to be 47mph, and as the road was a 60 limit, he was not driving too fast.
The officer told him that the corner could not be driven safely at more than 30mph, the road sign with the limit on it was just that, a sign telling drivers the limit at which they were allowed to drive, not a sign to tell you at which speed it was safe to do so.
It all seems a bit odd to me.

Someone died in that accident, a life that may have been saved if the signs were better.

I'll bet that there are loads of signs around that are not ideal for the positions that they are in, but...........

Mick

[PaulR]

Originally Posted by PhilzAlfa

We aren't talking about a little bit of darkness here, we are talking WW2 blackout darkness. Supposing I don't take a torch and end up falling over and breaking a leg. Can I sue the council for damages?

If you go out knowing that you have WW2 blackout darkness but don't bother to take any precautions (a simple thing like a torch) and break an appendage then it is entirely down to you. It's a matter of personal responsibility as you took the risk knowing what the circumstances were before you set out but took no precautions.

If you were walking along the road late at night and the council decided to turn all of the lights off without warning and you broke the same extremity then you might have a point.

[m0bzy]

I wonder how many actually have any idea of WW2 blackout? Torches could only be used shaded by your hand and facing down,but with no street lights it is surprising how far you can see without extra light.

[156Chris]

The council have just replaced all the street lamps on our street (I presume for energy saving) ... god they are bright now ... and a bit blue in color

[PhilzAlfa]

Originally Posted by PaulR

If you go out knowing that you have WW2 blackout darkness but don't bother to take any precautions (a simple thing like a torch) and break an appendage then it is entirely down to you. It's a matter of personal responsibility as you took the risk knowing what the circumstances were before you set out but took no precautions.

If you were walking along the road late at night and the council decided to turn all of the lights off without warning and you broke the same extremity then you might have a point.

I should have mentioned that the lights are off between 1am and 5am. So it's quite possible to leave the house at say 7pm when the streetlights are on, forget to take a torch, then break a leg when trying to get home at 1am.

[Starkers]

Only go out on cloudless nights.

HTH

[riptone]

its the same where i am
I rang them to tell them all the lights had failed as I came in one night at 0030 in total darkenss, they the council said it’s there new policy and we are the trial area (I said it would have been nice to have been told)
According to the mighty council they don’t have to provide lighting anywhere and they presumed that leaving ever other light on would be good.....and they only go off at 0000 back on at 0530

Great I said so why is my street in total darkness? ....
You must be in a side street....

Aha so it’s my fault for living in a side street?

At this point I gave up as it was a waste of time speaking to someone who didn’t give a f***

So I than rang about my claim for a new tyre ...after hitting a massive pot hole with my three week old tyre

Still looking in to it

I said it’s been three months

We are allowed xxx amount of days to reply

Another waste of time

SO NOW I REPORT EVERY POT HOLE I SEE

In fact I am off to do some right now