As announced earlier this year, Sheffield City Council became the first in the UK to begin a city-wide installation of LED streetlamps this week, as it aims to become one of the first areas in Europe to significantly drive down costs across the county on one of the biggest public spending sectors.
However, as info4security notes, LED streetlights aren't just being installed because of their long working life (25 years per bulb, on average) or the lowered cost of illuminating streets using energy-saving bulbs.
The city-wide retrofit also looks to significantly improve the quality of lighting available, turning old incandescent bulb-led orange light to something nearer the white light end of the spectrum.
It's thought this change will enhance road and street safety at night, and could even be attributed with driving down crime rates.
"The lights themselves provide a very white light," said project lead Graham Scragg, in comments to the BBC. "So you'll be able to see the blues and the reds on both ends of the light spectrum. That's very good for recognition - recognition of the street scene around you. It makes the place feel a brighter, safer place."
A Home Office reports issued in 1991 first questioned whether improved street lighting would result in a dip in crime, and a city-wide retrofit in Missouri recently resulted in a 47 per cent night time crime rate reduction.
However, a similar project in Chicago in the '90s saw a slight increase in reported crime, so the case of light quality and the impact it may have on crime rates remains unproven.
Despite this, many people feel safer in their homes with LED outdoor lighting in place.
The streetlights being installed across Sheffield use clusters of 80 LEDs rather than a single orange bulb, creating a cleaner light - and you can utilise similar technology to keep your own home safe.
Outdoor lights and walkover lamps both improve the feeling of safety.
