Motorway is pitch black

[Unfortunatelynot]

Why and when did the highway agency decide to turn the motorway lights off?
AIBU to think driving at 50-70mph in the dark feels treacherous?

That looks evil. I’ve been driving for 23 years this September and have driven on some pitch black sections, which I’d say had the potential to be lethal, but not to that length. Notable how one driver quoted in the article, who is using that route regularly, says drivers are using full beam because of how dark it is. That’s a worry in itself.

You can always contact National Highways if you want to complain either in general or if there are specific dangerous areas that you’re concerned about.

This

I hate motorways with no lights. The M4 Prince of Wales bridge has been without lighting for months and there are speed restrictions at night because of this, so it's obviously a recognised safety issue.

A couple of months back on an unlit stretch just after the bridge, I was driving very late at night and the road was quiet. A lorry overturned across two lanes just ahead, just happened, no emergency services there yet. Luckily two cars were there with their hazards on so I could see there was a problem ahead. But the lorry itself was invisible in the dark. I go cold thinking how easy it would have been to have driven straight into it had those other cars not been there first. M49 is unlit and I hate it even though I'm on it 4 times a week and very familiar with it.

I regularly drive on that section of the M6 north of Birmingham and have done for 30+ years including in the dark (which can be 4pm in winter it doesn’t mean midnight). It definitely used to be lit and now it’s not, I think the lack of lighting has increased the number of middle lane hogging, it’s more difficult to judge distance to change lanes when all you can see is lights. Although big sections are well lit due to roadworks and lane closures so hurray for that I guess?

M6 has been doing this for as long as I remember.
Although I'm not sure if it's just me, but I can think of at least two sections of road (one a motorway) that are unlit but feel utterly pitch black compared to other roads. Obviously my car has headlights and obviously I can see, but it's always the same two stretches of road, they have such a strange feel.

Yes, of course dark motorways mean less light pollution, and I knew there'd be the inevitable slew of "you shouldn't be on the road" posts from the more experienced than thou brigade, but there's no doubt that it's safer when visibility is better, especially when highway maintenance (reflective paint, cats eyes etc) is suboptimal and headlights coming in the opposite direction are so ridiculously bright nowadays. It's also less tiring for drivers, which is a safety issue too. I've been driving for years but I think yanbu.

I hate driving on the motorway at night and I simply don't do it for any long journey. It's pitch black.DH doesn't have an issue with it.

Not sure why you need lights on motorways. You have headlights and cats eyes, plus every road sign is luminous. Plus modern cars have lane drift alarms.

Our council turns off all lights on A roads between midnight and 5am as well. Less power wastage, less light pollution, rural households get more/better sleep, and it encourages people on A roads to slow down.

@Unfortunatelynot

Maybe large open spaces like motorways can be a bit disorientating, more so than a dark country lane where your view is limited but you know that you can see everything in that little envelope, whereas on the m-way the light just disappears into the distance. You will just have to get used to it, driving on dark roads is a skill you need to have.

Here in Canada we don’t even have cat’s eyes so you’re lucky to have those.

It's cost cutting. There may be environmental justifications behind it as well, but don't tell me it's a safety improvement.

YANBU

This. 70 is the limit, not the goal. You can, y'know, drive within your capabilities.

Most motorways have huge stretches with no lights. I don’t think it’s new.

I’ve been driving on dark motorways and roads most of my life.

We don’t want any more light pollution than currently inflicted on us.

Nobody "likes it", but it's not treacherous.

I did an unfamiliar journey on the motorway at night once and didn’t feel confident so try to stick to day light (not always possible I know).
Nothing wrong with saying that you aren’t keen and it certainly doesn’t make you a bad driver!

Don't come to Scotland then!

Reducing energy consumption should be a priority for all of us and the answer if you’re not confident driving in the dark with no street lights is not to do it.

It’s probably fine in one of the massive, high new cars with headlights that are super bright and blind everyone else but in a smaller, older car it is horrible driving in the dark these days even on normal unlit roads. I try to avoid night driving and this winter was awful.

I prefer an unlit motorway at night to the unlit country roads I’ve had to detour a couple of times offf M5 round Gloucestershire, I rarely get scared driving but I was petrified of those narrow pitch black roads! My biggest bugbear is those awful dazzling lights a lot of new cars have! They’re probably great for the driver but horrendous for everyone else!!

M6 in Lancashire never had lights. Back in the 80s, coming back from Gran's it was how we knew we were nearly home.

It has a soporific effect unfortunately and is dazzling with the other cars on the other side, it would help if the central reservation barrier was higher so you dont see them

I rarely drive on motorways anymore and never in the dark. The state of some of them are shocking,. These new bright white headlights are appalling.
The standards of driving over the past 10 years is atrocious.
So motorway lighting or no motorway lighting, I steer well clear

OP, you need to get out more…………not ALL the motorways have lighting during the night………the highways agency expect vehicle drivers to have functioning lights!