Security

While we want to have every area be safe at night, we need to be smart about our lighting.

• Poorly planned unshielded lighting solutions can create shaded areas where criminals can hide from passers-by and cameras.

• Keeping the area dark and using multiple motion sensors can deter crime - they don’t know where the lights are!

• Most home break-ins are performed during the day, when the occupant isn’t home. A recent example for Pittsburgh is the daytime burglaries during the 2019 holiday season in Brookline.

Safety

When lights aren’t well planned, they can be a safety hazard:

• Bright signage and unshielded building lighting can be a safety hazard to drivers. Think of someone driving the opposite direction as you with their high beams on, it is very similar. When they drive by, your eyes have to readjust to the darkness.

• The older a person gets, the slower the reaction time in the eyes to adjust to the change in brightness. This makes it harder for senior citizens to drive at night. Well shielded and dimmer lights would correct this.