Proven Safety Countermeasures: Lighting

Details

• Corporate Creators:
  United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration. Office of Safety
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Traffic safety
  • Countermeasures
  • Street lighting
  • Night visibility
• Publication/ Report Number:
  FHWA-SA-21-050
• Resource Type:
  Brief
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Corporate Publisher:
  United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration. Office of Safety
• Abstract:
  The number of fatal crashes occurring in daylight is about the same as those that occur in darkness. However, the nighttime fatality rate is three times the daytime rate because only 25 percent of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) occur at night. At nighttime, vehicles traveling at higher speeds may not have the ability to stop once a hazard or change in the road ahead becomes visible by the headlights. Therefore, lighting can be applied continuously along segments and at spot locations such as intersections and pedestrian crossings in order to reduce the chances of a crash. Adequate lighting (i.e., at or above minimum acceptable standards) is based on research recommending horizontal and vertical illuminance levels to provide safety benefits to all users of the roadway environment. Adequate lighting can also provide benefits in terms of personal security for pedestrians, wheelchair and other mobility device users, bicyclists, and transit users as they travel along and across roadways.
• Format:
  PDF
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/66812/dot_66812_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 284.76 KB]
• Collection(s):
  Federal Highway Administration
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:424977ef512486ad27e958724d32d9f0b9774bfa96e8961ced380ce9906e41d3abb85d4bee29ad4bc8409568007152791f1f4a6e3456d8847cba17ee633e10ea