Perceptions of safety at night in different lighting conditions

Abstract

Lighting has been shown to be an effective tool in the fight against crime, but too often the tool has been a sledgehammer. The four field studies described in this paper set out to answer two questions: 'How much light is needed to provide a perception of safety at night in urban and suburban areas?' and 'How important is light spectrum to that tion?' The first two field studies examined people's perceptions of the quality of the lighting for security on streets in New York City and Albany, New York. The third measured people's perceptions of safety when walking alone in urban and suburban parking lots, by day and night. The fourth measured perceptions of safety in a parking lot lit by high-pressure sodium and metal halide lamps. Taken together, these studies indicate that an average horizontal illuminance on a parking lot surface or street sidewalk of about 30 Ix provides enough light to ensure that perceptions of safety are close to what they are in daylight. The light spectrum is a minor factor relative to illuminance.

Road lighting and pedestrian reassurance after dark: A review

“…In summary, there is evidence that lighting of higher illuminance improves reassurance 35,43,50,51,53 although further evidence is needed to confirm whether this effect may be limited to situations where the higher illuminance is noticeable. The study from Boyce et al 53 provides evidence for an optimum illuminance and this requires validation in contexts relevant to the current focus of lighting in residential areas.…”

“…The study from Boyce et al 53 provides evidence for an optimum illuminance and this requires validation in contexts relevant to the current focus of lighting in residential areas.…”

Light source spectrum, brightness perception and visual performance in pedestrian environments: a review

“…Brightness is likely to matter because it is a fundamental visual perception that experience tells us is related to the amount of light present, and that in turn is related to how well we can see where we are going and what is happening around us. In other words, an area that is brightly lit after dark is perceived to provide good visibility and that, in the public mind, is likely to be more interesting and safer 12 . Pedestrians, particularly women, are advised to avoid poorly lit areas at night, and for poorly lit, read dark.…”

Impressões qualitativas em espaços urbanos noturnos por meio de ambientes virtuais imersivos

“…Incluem-se ainda estudos nos quais usuários expostos a fontes luminosas são avaliados a fim de descobrir a quantidade de luz necessária para fornecer segurança física (detecção de obstáculos e reconhecimento facial) e conforto visual, além de outros aspectos, como depreciação de fontes luminosas, entre outros (Boyce et al, 2000).…”