[snowlily]

As I'm sure you are all aware, many councils are switching off street lighting in a number of areas and the Highways Agency are turning off motorway lighting on a number of stretches of road between the hours of midnight and 5am. This scheme is said to reduce CO2 emissions and cut their energy bills drastically, but this scheme has been met with mixed reviews and a number of concerns regarding safety and crime.

I am currently doing some research into the public opinion of this scheme for my Masters Degree dissertation and would appreciate your help by filling out this quick survey I have created. It is completely anonymous and my results are going to be used purely for my own research to try and discover a more ‘general’ public view of the scheme.

The survey will take approximately 3 minutes and it can be found using this link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/N5B9C8C

If you would like to know any more about what I am researching then please let me know, I am more than happy to try and explain a little bit more. Also, if you have any other comments about the schemes then please do let me know.

Many thanks for your time.

[Rolebama]

Question 10 needs looking at. It would not let me finish the survey without ticking a box. I agree with none of the boxed answers.
As to street lighting, the sooner it is turned off the bette,r as far as I am concerned.

[wagolynn]

If the street lights are turned off, it may save money in one area but will in fact increase the cost of producing electricity. Power stations, other than gas turbine types, cannot be turned off economically, for a few hours at night therefore any off peek loads actually reduce the production costs.
From a motoring standpoint, street lights would be better off in towns as the level of illumination is too low. As a pedestrian, the lights are better than none at all.
Re the questions, I agree with Rolebama...

[snowlily]

Thanks for your responses Wagolynn and Rolebama. In question 10 I thought I had covered most bases with the choices I wanted to compare but with the option of 'carry on as normal'. I realise I should have allowed for 'other' to be an option on its own but if people are unsure I would suggest putting 'carry on as normal' and then writing their real response because I will realise when I go through the results. Thankyou for pointing it out.

[smudger]

Quote.." As a pedestrian, the lights are better than none at all."
We only have to go back to the 40s when the "blitz" was on going, and ask survivors what it was like during the black-out.

[snowlily]

Smudger, it is interesting you refer to the Blitz. You're not the only one who has mentioned that comparison to me. Thankyou for your comment.

If anyone else has any comments or questions regarding my survey then please do let me know. I would really appreciate as many responses to it as possible as the majority so far are local to my area and I would ideally prefer a more representative opinion of people from across the UK. It is completely anonymous and takes no more than a few minutes.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/N5B9C8C

Many thanks.

[Snowball]

Originally Posted by wagolynn

From a motoring standpoint, street lights would be better off in towns as the level of illumination is too low. As a pedestrian, the lights are better than none at all.

There are exceptions to this. On very brightly lit roads, it is possible to have a situation where a pedestrian with less than decent vision might not spot an approaching car among all glare from both road lights and store windows. During WW2 blackout, it was easier to see moving vehicles, even with hooded lights, than in some of today's sityations.
It is probable that no common ground for agreement will ever be reached on this subject.

[MrDanno]

I have to agree with Wagolynn that it wouldn't save much at all in reality. I suppose if this was put to a bunch of MP's and their government advisors the answer would be to spend a few hundred billion pounds on rewiring all the street lamps so that every other lamp could be switched off for a few hours each night.

[ficklejade]

I'm sorry, Snowlily, but survey's got problems for me, too. Q.10 you've answered but Q.11 doesn't like a blank. Very few of our roads are lit, so I'm used to driving on them.

[snowlily]

Thanks for your responses so far. Ficklejade for question 11 it is fine to put n/a or even write that explanation that you are used to driving on them.

Snowball you make an interesting point that no common ground will be reached on this subject and so far in my research it seems that this may well be the case. Mr Danno, I think I agree that it does seem daft to spend millions on this technology which will only make back its worth in the long run, particularly when we are still in a 'financial crisis.'

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/N5B9C8C