Want To Guess The Number One Reason People Install Outdoor Lighting? So They Can See At Night, Of Course. Improving Nighttime Visibility Is What Its All About. Did You Know That Often Times The Lights We Install To Help Us To See At Night Actually Hinder Our Ability To Do So? Its True. Sadly, Improperly Chosen Outdoor Lighting Is Almost The Norm.Many People Choose An Outdoor Light Fixture Thats Pretty To Look At In The Daytime, With Absolutely No Consideration For How It Will Perform At Night. The Pretty Brass Glass Fixtures That Are So Common Nowadays Often Shine More Horizontally Than Down. This Means That The Majority Of The Light These Fixtures Put Out Is Aimed Right Into Your Eyes. Think Thatll Improve Your Visibility? Nope, Not Even A Little.What Youre Experiencing, Even If You Dont Know It, Is A Form Of Light Pollution Known As Glare. Glare Is The Result Of An Excessive Contrast Between Bright And Dark Areas. Light Shining Into The Eyes Of Drivers And Pedestrians Is Glare. Glare Is A Particularly Important Issue In Road Safety, As Poorly Shielded Lights Along Roadways May Partially Blind Drivers Or Pedestrians And Contribute To Accidents.Wow! The Very Lights We Install To Help Us See Can Actually Reduce Our Visibility If Theyre Not Chosen Wisely. Ill Come Out On Record And Say It. Lighting Manufacturers Should Not Be Allowed To Sell These Vision Robbing Glare Bombs. They Are Dangerous And Inefficient Products That Can Be Immediately Replaced By Better And More Efficient Designs Already On The Market.Fortunately, There Are A Large And Rapidly Growing Number Of Attractive, High Quality Outdoor Lights For Homes, Businesses And Communities. These Dont Cost Any More To Purchase And Often Will Be Significantly Cheaper To Operate Due To More Efficient Use Of The Light Produced.Many Communities Have Begun Requiring The Use Of Exterior Light Fixtures That Only Shine Light Down. This Significantly Improves Nighttime Visibility While Also Dramatically Improving The Views Of The Night Sky As An Added Bonus. Hopefully, These Night Sky Friendly Outdoor Lighting Ordinances Will Continue To Spread. There Might Even Be One Under Discussion In Your Community?
