Lamp Standard | On road edge Raised light source Illumination cycle |
W
hat you see depends on how you view things. Although generally accepted as beneficial, street lights may on closer examination be undesirable. Inherent problems are created by exposure to high contrast pools of bright and dark light. This will cause loss of night vision because of the physiological accommodation reflex of our eyes. Movement from a dark area into a bright area induces the eye pupil to quickly constrict. But upon emerging from the pool of light, the pupil dilation adjustment to dim light is much slower causing impaired vision. In addition, the sensitivity of the retinal rods will decrease and require minutes before returning to high sensitivity levels.
“The natural world, our traditional source of direct insights, is rapidly disappearing. Modern city-dwellers cannot even see the stars at night. This humbling reminder of Man's place in the scheme of things, which human beings once saw ever twenty-four hours, is denied them. It's no wonder that people lose their bearings, that they lose track of who they really are, and what their lives are really about.” - Michael Crichton
