Councils turn off street lights in a bid to save money

A number of councils across the UK are turning off their street lights to save cash. But will this mean more accidents on the road at night?

It costs around £500 million per year to power all of the street lights in Britain. In an effort to reduce the money spent on lighting, some councils are turning off their street lights. The news comes just weeks after some councils announced they were going to permanently switch off their speed cameras.

Buckinghamshire County Council has turned off around 5% of its street lights, making savings of approximately £700,000 per year.

Somerset Council has been tempted by the idea too. They say that turning off 500 lights for a few hours every morning would save £18,500 a year.

The idea has been met with criticism from transport groups and MPs, who say that darker roads mean a higher risk of accidents. Louise Ellman, chairman of the Commons transport committee, said: “I am extremely concerned that financial pressures are leading to steps which can jeopardise people’s lives and increase the number of injuries.”

Edmund King, President of the AA has also raised concerns about the safety of the idea. “The public are in favour of street lighting as a way of improving road safety. Cyclists and pedestrians are more at risk on unlit streets.”

Have your say

With lights and speed cameras being switched off across the UK, are you worried about the effect these changes will have on road safety in your area?