What Are the Benefits of Street Lights in Rural Areas?

Driving through a rural area can be relaxing and picturesque during the day. Not so at night, though, when roads are pitch dark and you can't tell where they wind or bend or if something is in your path. But in many rural areas, residents oppose the installation of street lights because it might mean an increase in their taxes. However, the benefits of street lights in rural areas may outweigh financial concerns.

Driver Safety

• Street lights increase visibility and thus increase road safety for drivers traveling at night. Street lights, for instance, may illuminate an animal in the middle of the road in time for a driver to avoid a collision. In areas where large animals may be on the road, street lights can protect both the life of the animal and that of the driver.

Pedestrian Safety

• Street lights make it easier to see dangers around you, whether from traffic, people or animals. People who live in rural areas tend to feel safer than people who live in cities, but crime happens everywhere. People are more vulnerable to being victimized when they are out after nightfall in an area so dark that they can't see if someone is lurking nearby, waiting to accost them. And would-be criminals might think twice in well-lighted areas.

Increased Nighttime Business

• In rural communities, sunlight still dictates many people's schedules: They rise at sunrise to tend to their farms or crops and retire for the day when the sun goes down. This is, to put it simply, bad for business. But people might be lured into coming out at night for everything from shopping to watching a play if the area is well-lighted. A dark area looks deserted; a well-lighted area looks cheery and inviting, so street lights might be good for business.