Safer Streets: Solar Lights Illuminate Las Vegas

Photo byFonroche

Solar Street Lights Slash Costs and Increase Safety.

Government officials, residents, and businesses were tired of being left in the dark because of wire theft.

Clark County’s task force will work with Texas-based Fonroche Lighting America to install an autonomous solar lighting system near Palm and E. Louis Street.

• Fonroche streetlights feature a specially formulated battery chemistry to ensure performance and long life in the Las Vegas Valley’s extreme climates.
• In case of theft, an internal tracker is used to locate power assemblies if removed from the pole.

Street lighting supports security in urban areas and increases the quality of life. It artificially extends the hours of light so that activity can occur and improves safety for drivers, riders, and pedestrians.

Driving outside during daylight hours is more dangerous. Only a quarter of all car travel is between the hours of 7 p.m. and 8 a.m., but this period accounts for 40% of fatal and serious injuries to drivers and their passengers.

Pedestrians and vulnerable road users also suffer from decreased visibility in the dark. Lighting reduces the risk to all road users during the hours of darkness.

About half of traffic fatalities occur at night, although only about one-quarter of travel occurs after dark. While intoxication and fatigue contribute to the high rate of nighttime crashes, nighttime driving is inherently challenging due to decreased visibility. In dark conditions, retroreflective pavement markings and signs delineate the roadway alignment and improve the visibility of decision points such as intersections. Retroreflectivity bounces light from vehicle headlights back toward the vehicle and the driver’s eyes, making the signs and markings recognizable from a greater distance. Roadway lighting is another means to increase visibility, not only for drivers but also for other roadway users. - Federal Highway Administration

• Solar systems have no copper wiring to steal.
• Solar lights don’t require trenching and underground wiring
• Solar lighting stays on during power outages, both planned and in emergencies
• A community where residents feel comfortable on the street is a safer, healthier, and more connected community

Streetlighting impacts many aspects of a community. It can give residents confidence in using public transportation, promote healthy activity, and improve walkability and, by extension, property values. Most importantly, it can prevent traffic accidents and criminal activity.

Clark County officials will closely monitor the streetlights and develop recommendations for further deployment.

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Douglas Pilarski is an award-winning writer and journalist based on the West Coast. His writing resonates with those passionate about luxury goods, exotic cars, horology, tech, food, agriculture, lifestyle, historical events, equestrian and rodeo, and millionaire travel.

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