Road lighting plays a very important role. After sunset or when visibility is reduced, it increases the safety of drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. Precise lighting of roads and streets is influenced by, among others, light distribution.
Street lighting luminaires are not able to fully illuminate the surface, for health or utility reasons it is not even advisable. In a highly urbanised area, where the road network is dense and buildings are located next to each other, strong road lights would disturb the life and peace of residents. In order to illuminate cities and streets, another solution is used, the so-called negative contrast. It consists in exposing the silhouette of the car or pedestrian, rather than completely illuminating the space. This method allows for savings in energy consumption and precise targeting of light. Properly selected light distribution gives comfort of use and increases safety of traffic participants.
Traffic lighting makes it possible to see and react more quickly to all potential dangers. An efficient lighting system reduces the risk of making a mistake, causing an accident and contributes to smooth driving. When planning the location of streetl luminaires, the safety of other road users should also be taken into account - lighting should include sidewalks and cycle paths. It is influenced by skilful selection of appropriate lighting angle, which will allow to illuminate all traffic zones.
For complex illumination it is best to use LED technology, which with low power consumption allows to obtain powerful luminous flux. Apart from high parameters the possibility of fluent regulation of light intensity or distribution is equally important. Precise directing of the light stream reduces the risk of glare or light pollution effect. It is also worth mentioning the benefits of electricity savings, which reduce operating costs while increasing the life of the light source.