where they never before existed , or where they had been eradicated . Recently it has been found that light pollution affects the biting behaviour of Aëdes ægypti , the Tiger Mosquito . Unlike most mosquitoes that bite at night , this mosquito tends to bite in the late afternoon and evening , and again around dawn and the early morning . Increased lighting at night extends the biting periods of the mosquito , thereby increasing the risk of infection by the diseases it carries , such as yellow fever , Zika and Chikungunya 11 . One of the main reasons for installing street lighting is the widespread belief that it reduces crime . This is now known to be a fallacy , but it is exploited by the lighting industry in order to sell more street lights , maximise profits , and safeguard their own jobs and those employed in municipal lighting departments . A study in Chicago 12 demonstrated that increased lighting had no effect on crime rates . In the United Kingdom , where lighting curfews were reintroduced for economic reasons , it was found that criminality declined by as much as fifty percent . Some studies by the lighting industry suggested that criminality declined by as much as twenty percent , but these studies have long since been discredited . Where power failures have occurred , police forces were amazed to find that criminality declined almost to zero 13 , ergo criminals need light . Most of the crime we fear occurs in daylight , and lighting up communities extends daylight into the hours of darkness . This causes people to behave at night more as they would during the day , so criminality can be expected to increase . Many of the most crime infested areas in the U . K . are also the most intensively lit . Illuminating a property simply makes the criminal ’ s job easier , as he can see what is doing . If the place is dark , then he will be forced to bring his own lighting which is more likely to arouse suspicion . Motion operated lighting , if deployed correctly , can be a deterrent , as it will surprise any intruders and again
34
arouse suspicion . It is also generally believed that lighting improves road safety . However , there are alternative methods of improving road safety without naïve recourse to street lighting . The blanket deployment of street lighting may lull drivers into a false sense of security , causing them to take less care , thereby increasing the risk of accidents . If the road is not illuminated , drivers will be forced to drive according to the conditions , and take more care . Motorways are often lit , with long stretches of illuminated roadway ramifying into open countryside where it is not appropriate . Road safety on motorways can be
COURTESY
Vanity lighting includes illuminated public buildings such as this one ( left ) in Istanbul , Turkey , and skybeams like the Stockport Skybeam , Stockport , Cheshire , pictured below in this 2005 image .
guaranteed by better , reflective signage , cat ’ s eyes , and raised crash barriers on the central reservation . Cat ’ s eyes are more efficient if the road is not illuminated . Raised crash barriers will render the glare of the oncoming traffic invisible , which is the main hazard on motorways when driving at night . Furthermore the advantages of these methods is that they don ’ t consume energy once installed , nor do they require much maintenance , if any . Unfortunately these recommendations are never applied , as they would deprive the lighting industry the opportunity to profit from the sale of street lighting . Street lighting , if deployed