To think they have dimmed the street lights

[Chocolateapot]

Everywhere is SO dark, driving is a nightmare. Walking is treacherous as you can barely see the pavement in front of you, what is going on?! Have they dimmed the street lights ?

Yep but I’ve noticed it’s been like this for quite a lot of years

Maybe put your phone away and get a torch if you're worried about safety.

It's been like this where I live for at least 3-4 years. It's awful.
As a pedestrian and as a driver. Can't see much. The street lights are like candles, absolutely useless. Then really bright lights from cars which can be blinding.
You just can't see properly on our streets anymore. My eyesight is fine, this was the first thing I checked when I started noticing how dark it is. They might as well turn off these dim street lights completely because they are a real problem when combined with modern cars lights.

Contact your local council to request a shield to be fitted to the light. It stops the light going into your house and should have been done at the time of changing to the LED bulbs. If it does have a shield then it's not been fitted correctly. Complain.

Swapped the bulbs for energy saving ones here and of course the contractor just shoved in cheap bulbs in higher lampposts so there wasn't enough light at ground level.

We don’t even have any street lights on our road.

?? I'm worried about stepping in dog shit! I'm not worried that much about my phone being pinched. The safety concern is around the streets not being lit properly and the opportunities that provides people with ill-intent. I don't need to lug a proper torch around on top of everything else when I can use my phone light while I'm doing the Dog Shit Dodge. I shouldn't have to, though.

Okay, that makes me feel better

I nearly switched the torch on just walking back from the station today! I have a little one that attaches to a zip on my bag. I was a bit worried I'd look like a nutter, particularly when a fellow commuter overtook me, walking really fast, loaded with bags, and on her phone!

We have lots of lovely trees here so the pavement isn't like a city pavement in terms of flatness or whatever.

i'll just have to be less self-conscious about the torch. I have it because in my previous area, there was a problem with a spate of power cuts affecting the road out of the station. But I honestly wouldn't have needed it this time last year in this area. They must've done something.

i'm not steady on my feet so add in poor lighting and I have issues.

It’s shocking OP. I’d say that if I went for a walk round some streets I’d need a head torch. It would be easy to coggle/fall. The orange bright bulbs are the best. They still have some of those near the small shops in my village and you can see where you are going.

I agree, the streetlights are so dim as to be pointless, combined with the insanely bright lights on cars driving at night is a nightmare. I really miss the old orange warm glow of streetlights, it felt much safer and comforting, these new streetlights I agree with a previous poster that they look quite sinister.

@Jamesblonde2 I have learned a new word from your post!

Oh goodness me I hope so!
A few years ago when they switched from halogen to LED I found the LED ones blinding and very annoying to have outside my windows at night, was like a search spotlight shining in!
I have now moved to the country so is less of an issue for me but if they are dimmer in towns that’s all to the good imo, night is supposed to be dark.

Dark, yes, but being unable to see to drive / walk isn’t good !

Wow you must've read my mind OP! I stepped outside earlier and looked around for a broken light as it was so dark. This makes so much more sense!

I'm glad it's not a dangerous area and you're not worried. I hate that people don't clean up after their dogs. It's so selfish.

I always think people who are smug about street lighting issues are not the ones who are ever plodding home from
the station, shattered, at 11pm

a well lit street also helps with deterring crime

I love a dark night time too but there are definitely places where that has to be sacrificed for safety.

but then we also have a lot of posters here who don't go out after 4 pm and don't seem to realise that many of the people keeping society going are out and about late.

How do you see to drive on unlit roads? Plenty of roads are completely without streetlights…

100% they have in some places very dangerous

Absolutely -

I noticed on Halloween and asked my daughter if it’s my eyesight or is it much darker? She said the street lights are definitely a lot dimmer.

Many British cities were overlit before and it is proven to be bad for human and wildlife health. I always notice the difference when I visit other countries.

Thanks, I hate it too. It’s rife where we are, and worse at this time of year where it can be hidden in the fallen leaves and becomes much harder to spot.

Years ago the local council decided to turn the street lights off after midnight, then decided it was too dangerous so left them on again.

In the last few weeks they've decided to switch them off at midnight again. I took my dog for a late walk, forgetting this, and had to use the torch on my phone to see where I was going. Lots of women are complaining that they don't feel safe anymore if they have to be out late.

Surely dark streets also disproportionately affects women and other vulnerable groups more as well. Clearly a decision made by a man who doesn’t need to walk in the dark…

Maybe a good idea to go back in time and carry a really good torch