Poor lighting puts people off driving, according to Yotta research

Just over a quarter of UK adults in a recent survey said they avoid driving after dark because of poor street lighting on their local roads. The research, commissioned by technology company Yotta, polled 1,000 UK adults. The results found that many people are also put off from walking or cycling through local green spaces after dark by poor lighting. Nearly one-third (30%) said they are less likely to visit them because of the quality of the lighting. In addition, more than one quarter (26%) of respondent
January 9, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

Just over a quarter of UK adults in a recent survey said they avoid driving after dark because of poor street lighting on their local roads.

The research, commissioned by technology company 8110 Yotta, polled 1,000 UK adults. The results found that many people are also put off from walking or cycling through local green spaces after dark by poor lighting.

Nearly one-third (30%) said they are less likely to visit them because of the quality of the lighting. In addition, more than one quarter (26%) of respondents overall said the quality of street lighting in their town or city made them feel less safe about going out after dark, compared to just 19% who said the lighting quality made them feel safer.  

Despite concerns about the quality of street lighting, 17% of UK adults believed the council are inefficient at fixing broken street lights in their local town or city.

In addition, when respondents were asked what public areas they would be happy for lighting to be switched off to help the council reduce costs,  the “no areas” option received 32% of the vote. Minor roads were cited by 19% of respondent and motorways by 18%.

Highway & Network Management

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Expanded and branded: RER Vélo bike project
    April 29, 2022
    Connected up cycling is becoming more important in France as the way to keep cyclists from giving up their COVID habit of pedalling to work and for pleasure. David Arminas reports.
    Read More
  • Set the ALARM for repairs in England and Wales
    January 10, 2019
    More than 3,900km of roads in England and Wales will need essential maintenance within the next year, according to the annual ALARM survey* Cash-strapped local governments are reporting that the gap between the funds they received and the amount they needed for repairs and maintenance was almost €639 million. This equated to an average shortfall of €3.75 million for every authority. It would take 14 years to get local roads back into a reasonable steady state, but only if adequate funds and resources wer
    Read More
  • European equipment sales up 15% in 2017, according to the CECE
    June 15, 2018
    European construction sales grew by 15% in 2017, according to the Annual Economic Report 2018* from the CECE After a strong first quarter, growth slowed in Q2, before rising in Q3 and Q4, according to the CECE - Committee for European Construction Equipment. Current levels of sales are on par with the levels seen in 2006 and 2008, but the industry is still 20% below the 2007 peak.
    Read More
  • Motorcyclists blame other road users for crashes
    May 30, 2025
    Survey reveals disconnect between riders and other drivers
    Read More

Highlighted Content