Outdoor lighting design in California has been transformed at a blistering pace, thanks in large part to the revolution of LED lighting. Big state institutions, like Caltrans, are rapidly moving towards LED solutions, as are CA municipalities and large businesses.
But why? What about LEDs improved road design and engineering processes?
1. Reduces maintenance costs, unburdens engineers, and lets planners get creative.
When engineers use traditional lighting, they need to anticipate light burn-outs and malfunctions happening on a frequent basis. As a result, they must compromise in terms of where they position lights, and planners must budget money to change bulbs, hire crews, etc. Since LEDs last longer and lead to fewer problems, engineers and planners are far less constrained.
2. LEDs may be easier for drivers’ brains to process: they thus may boost safety.
Road engineers are obsessed with questions of communication. Does a particular sign communicate its intent correctly? What can be done to increase a driver’s level of attention and thus decrease distracted driving accidents? The unique makeup of the LED light signature may be easier to process for many people under diverse situations.
3. Aesthetic improvements created by LED lights can have material benefits.
According to recent studies, city dwellers all around the globe prefer LED streetlights to traditional incandescent solutions; most people find LED more “beautiful.” So why might “beauty” matter, when you’re designing a road? Think about how you feel when you drive for long periods of time through a confusing, labyrinthine network of roads, and you’re besieged by headache-inducing signage. You feel more anxious, less able to concentrate, and uncertain about your moves. Now imagine switching out those ugly signs with luminous, easy on the eyes, clear LED lights? You might still feel confused by the labyrinthine road design, but you’d likely feel much less stressed by the experience.
Now extrapolate that increased level of concentration and calm across millions of drivers and millions of miles of driving. It likely would aggregate to a substantial positive effect on safety – potentially saving dozens of lives a year, just through this “beauty effect” alone.
The team here at Great Basin Lighting can help your business or local community create a cost-effective, simple, clear, and low maintenance LED lighting solution. Whether you need LED lighting in Nevada or California or beyond, we would be happy to provide a free estimate and get you on the right track regarding your important project.
