The article “Vancouver greenlights LED streetlights” (April 18, The Columbian) was welcome news. I was pleased to see the city adopting a cost and energy saving technology; but not all LED streetlights are created equal.
As a lighting designer, I know that in addition to providing light upon the roadway surface, lights can also be a source of “disabling glare.” With streetlights, this is where the oncoming driver has a direct line of sight to the light source, creating a bright spot that causes pupils to shrink, thus impeding overall ability to see at night. We all have experienced the same effect when an oncoming car has its high beams on and, until it passes, our view of the road ahead is impeded.
As we age, our ability to recover from disabling glare slows, making night driving ever more dangerous. When selecting street lights to be installed, it is crucial that the light produced (lumens), the distribution on the roadway and glare all be considered.
