Risky ride: Poorly lit construction signs are potential danger zones for motorists. Roadworks, marked by low-light warning signs, leave drivers with little time to react, raising safety concerns for vehicles passing through after dark. — ART CHEN/The Star
Clear, strategic lighting helps prevent night-time road accidents
PETALING JAYA: Having good road lighting is key to keeping drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and road workers safe, according to a document of an ongoing public consultation by the Department of Standards Malaysia (JSM).
Its Code of Practice for Road Lighting, Part 1, states that road lighting covers all highways and public thoroughfares, helping to ensure traffic safety and ease of passage for all users.
“Good road lighting can be one of the measures to reduce traffic collisions at night.
“Streetlights should be placed strategically so that they don’t confuse drivers, especially at junctions, roundabouts and bends. They should line up with lanes and road edges to guide traffic clearly,” it said.
JSM is the country’s national standards and accreditation body. Its main role is to develop and promote standards to support the economy, improve industrial efficiency, protect public health and safety, safeguard consumers, and facilitate trade both domestically and internationally.
The document by the department provides recommendations on the general principles of road lighting as well as on its aesthetic and technical aspects. It also provides guidance on operation and maintenance.
Proper lighting, it added, helps motorists spot hazards, negotiate curves and adjust vehicle speed.
“To prevent confusion, changes in the lighting system along a road should follow the road layout.”
For instance, lights should continue past overbridges, gantries or large signboards so drivers have a clear and uninterrupted view of the road ahead.
“It should also reveal all the features of the road and traffic that are important to all road users, including pedestrians,” it said.
Roads are usually lit, so objects stand out as darker shapes against a brighter background, improving visibility.
Uniform lighting and low glare are particularly important for older drivers, it said.
Pedestrians benefit too with well-lit walkways making it easier to see obstacles, detect other road users and feel secure, it added.
Busy pedestrian zones, cycle paths and motorway emergency lanes must be treated as separate areas to ensure adequate lighting, the document said.
For single-carriageway roads, streetlights can be placed on one side, both sides or in a staggered pattern, with the choice influenced by cost, appearance and environmental factors, though staggered set-ups may create slightly uneven lighting.
For dual carriageways with a wide central reserve of more than 9m, each carriageway should be lit separately.
Designers should also consider the shadowing caused by tall vehicles when choosing pole heights.
“Concrete barriers in the central reserve can reduce light reaching lanes nearest the barrier. For narrower dual carriageways, the road can usually be treated as a single unit. With the right pole height and type of lights, dual carriageways can be effectively lit using staggered or opposite arrangements on the outer edges, or with twin lights mounted in the central reserve.”
Good road lighting can save electricity and reduce carbon emissions, so energy efficiency should be a key part of any road lighting strategy, said the document.
Among the strategies that can be adopted are using adaptive lighting or those that can be reduced during periods of low use, such as midnight to 6am, if such equipment allows.
Road lighting can also be increased when traffic rises, the document added. It also suggests the use of sensors or push-button sensors that can adjust lighting based on activity.
However, before using sensors, authorities should confirm that safety in the area will not be compromised, adding that a full risk analysis and consultation should be done first.
The authorities should also consider opting for better energy and cost-saving measures, said the document.
“Public lighting electricity rates are usually based on usage throughout the night. Rates are lowest during low-demand hours (usually from midnight to 6am).
“Changing the lighting schedule may affect power tariff charges, so energy providers must be informed,” it said.
Environmental considerations are also important when designing new or replacement road lighting, it said.
The impact of lighting can be reduced by adjusting the brightness to match the required lighting class for the time of night, or even switching lights off during low-use periods if it is safe to do so.
It also pointed out that lighting classes define the level of illumination required for different road users in specific areas and environments, with needs that can vary depending on the time of night or the season.
