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Lancashire Police slam M65 'lights out' plans
12:06pm Sunday 9th November 2008
PLANS to turn out the lights on the M65 have suffered a major blow after police said the proposals would put motorists at risk.
The force said it would be a ‘retrograde’ step if Lancashire County Council approved the move.
And police pointed to the increase in traffic in recent years and the fact that ambulances now use the motorway more frequently as key reasons why the proposals should be rejected.
Council bosses last week put forward the plan to save £65,000 a year and reduce carbon emissions by 300 tonnes.
County councillors said it would not affect safety, but police said they had not yet been consulted by the county council.
Inspector Phil Cottam, head of the motorway policing unit, said: “The police are acutely aware of the dangers posed by motorways, in most cases lighting assists in making them safer and helping to enhance public confidence in using them.
“It is always difficult to balance financial and environmental matters with public safety but I would say that safety should always come first.”
A police spokesperson added: “Cuts in the lighting on this lengthy of motorway are seen by the police as a retrograde step in relation to motorway safety.
“It is true to say that many motorways are not lit. However, there is a causalty link, especially in relation to fatigue where drivers move from lit sections to unlit sections of motorway.
“In addition, carriageway lighting is especially helpful to motorists who breakdown and have to get out of their vehicle on the hard-shoulder.
“Lit sections are much safer for the emergency services to deal with when an incident has occurred.”
The spokesman said the development of business and retail outlets along the motorway - particularly in Pendle - had seen traffic volume increase significantly.
He said: “Queues are now a daily occurrence at some junctions exiting the motorway carriageway and any reduction in lighting will in the view of the police make this motorway more dangerous.
“Lastly, the M65 is now a vital route for the transfer of patients by ambulance from East Lancashire to the Royal Blackburn Hospital. "The police regard it as vital that this motorway remains a safe and reliable route at all times of the day and night.”
The plans will be further considered by county councillors before a final decision is made.
Your Say YourTelegraph
owdcaleb, Burnley says...
1:44pm Sun 9 Nov 08
Never mind the carbon savings, how about saving lives!!
Lampman, Helmshore says...
3:40pm Sun 9 Nov 08
Please think again.
RAyzer, BURNLEY says...
4:55pm Sun 9 Nov 08
BigPete, darwen says...
5:39pm Sun 9 Nov 08
What is the point of voting in local elections when councillors ignore the concerns of the populace?
As previouslt stated, this madcap scheme will probably still go ahead anyway.
If it does, why bother with elections? Those in power don't listen. Democracy? I don't think so...........
pip pip!, Hyndburn says...
7:03pm Sun 9 Nov 08
I think the names of the people suggesting these madcap ideas should be publicised, instead of them hiding behind gullible county councillors such as here today, gone next May, Matthew Tomlinson.
RAyzer, BURNLEY says...
8:51pm Sun 9 Nov 08
CapitaBackHander, Darren says...
9:28pm Sun 9 Nov 08
The FACT is that night time accidents on the motorway are FIVE times more likely to be fatal and this IS linked to the visability.
There are many reasons for having a motorway lit BUT I can't think of ANY realistic reasons for turning the lights off.
One other interesting FACT is that you could save £60,000 quite easily by sacking anyone involved with this idea and also cause no risk to the public.
How much money did Lancashire County Council have tied up in Iceland? I presume they don't put all the money in one place, that is a lot of money and still they want to save (?) money or increase your council tax.
Taztastic, Darwen says...
11:11pm Sun 9 Nov 08
Accidents are caused by the faulty device fitted to all vehicles. DRIVERS.
OK, £65k seems a small price to have them on, I for one would rather have the money saved than have the lights on all night for the few drivers who should not be there through defective eyesight or tiredness.
MJA, Dribble Valley says...
7:11am Mon 10 Nov 08
Why not compromise and switch every other light off?
owdcaleb, Burnley says...
9:24am Mon 10 Nov 08
Taztastic wrote:Rather missing the point, if you bring it down to pound notes, any fatality however caused through turning the lights off will end up costing far more than any potential saving, but to be fair the authority appear to be pushing this idea to enhance their "green credentials"
Turn them off Accidents are caused by the faulty device fitted to all vehicles. DRIVERS. OK, £65k seems a small price to have them on, I for one would rather have the money saved than have the lights on all night for the few drivers who should not be there through defective eyesight or tiredness.
Confucius, Darwen says...
10:13am Mon 10 Nov 08
MJA wrote:I'm no expert and may be wrong, but I don't think they have individual switches for all the lights.
From what I can see, the police didn't "slam" the idea; they put a very valid argument opposing the idea. Why not compromise and switch every other light off?
A Darener, Darwen says...
10:23am Mon 10 Nov 08
Ask drivers who live in the countryside how they drive at night on unlit country lanes, far more dangerous than wide open motorways, with traffic only travelling in one direction.
David Whipp, Barnoldswick says...
11:09am Mon 10 Nov 08
I opposed the proposal because it will greatly increase the risk of death and injuries from collisions.
One of the key reasons for keeping the lights on is that the M65 is mainly an urban road. Drivers come off roads with street lights on at almost all the junctions. This is different to motorways in rural areas where the roads joining are largely unlit.
Regular users of the M65 through Burnley and Pendle will have noticed that broken unlit lamps already cause problems. The county council should be making a better job of repairing these - not switching them all off.
amazed, Darwen says...
7:16pm Mon 10 Nov 08
Wikidi, Accrington says...
12:45am Tue 11 Nov 08
Why can't they think of using alternative methods for instance:
Street/Road: Solar power lighting
Big roads/Highways: The ordinary lights.
petestan, clitheroe says...
11:37pm Tue 18 Nov 08
Confucius wrote:I think I read that a council in Wales that had decided to switch off the street lights at night had pulled all the fuses out so they couldn't switch on that may be one way round it, although personally after driving all over the country at night myself I find it a lot easier driving on motorways that are lit compared to those that aren't.
MJA wrote:I'm no expert and may be wrong, but I don't think they have individual switches for all the lights.
From what I can see, the police didn't "slam" the idea; they put a very valid argument opposing the idea. Why not compromise and switch every other light off?
I used to regularly drive back up the M6 from Brum and it was lit all the way until you hit Lancashire and them you were in the dark.
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Police slam M65 'lights out' plans
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The silver fox, Lammack, Blackburn says...
12:56pm Sun 9 Nov 08