Decision Rijkswaterstaat under siege

Rijkswaterstaat has decided that lights will be switched off along numerous highways in order to save energy and cut back on electricity costs. JOEP DERKSEN reports on possible effects to road safety.

 

The lights that run along the middle of highways are switched off between 21:00 and 05:00. But on the busier highways, the lights are only switched off at 23:00 hours. During the daytime, Rijkswaterstaat will also scarcely use the lights “Only on the busiest moments of the day and wherever it is needed for the traffic safety, for instance at tunnels and sharp curves.”

 

According to the overview of the budget division of the infrastructure fund, the diminishing of the lights will lead to more injuries and deaths. “Per region, the effects on traffic flow and safety will differ. Because of the switching off , it is expected that there will be 2 percent increase of traffic jams. The effect on road safety is, that it will lead to an extra 0.2 traffic deaths per year and the number of seriously injured victims will rise with one per year.” The Stichting Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Verkeersveiligheid has said, that switching off the lights will lead to a rise in road accidents. of Infrastructure and the Environment  Melanie Schultz van Haegen (VVD) has confirmed in a reply to a question by MP Liesbeth Van Tongeren (GroenLinks), that she has been informed about this. However, the plans remain the same.

 

Annette Kraft van Ermel, spokesperson for Rijkswaterstaat, explains that the total amount of savings because of the delumination of the highways will be 35 million euro until 2020. Will road drivers more frequently use their highbeams (groot licht) in the dark sections of the highways? “It is not allowed to use this lighting when it causes disturbances to other road users,” she comments. “We don’t have any data which links the switching off of the lights with the increased use of the highbeams.' 

 

Does the switching off endanger animals, who want to cross the highways at night? “Already since 2004, the lights along highways have been switched of at night along highways in and along nature areas. Rijkswaterstaat believes that this has not lead to an increase in road accidents with animals. In addition, environmental organisations have responded positively about these new measures.”

 

However, not everybody is enthusiastic about this new policy of Rijkswaterstaat. Hans Hamburger MD PhD, neurologist, founder and head of the Amsterdam Sleep Centre in the Slotervaartziekenhuis and Boerhaave Medisch Centrum, chairman of the Dutch Society for Sleep and Wake Disorders (NSWO), warns for the safety of the drivers. He expresses his opinions as a “sleep specialist.”

 

“Switching off the lights along highways does not seem to be a good idea to me,” Hamburger begins, “Driving in the dark could cause dangerous situations. Drivers tend to get sleepier in the dark, respond slower and have no overview of the road and therefore could notice critical situations too late.” Rijkswaterstaat claims that the measure is taken because of environmental concerns, but also due to financial cutbacks. The government organisation claims, that driving in the dark is not more dangerous to the users of the highway.

 

Hamburger has his doubts about this statement. “Years ago, these lights were placed for lots of money along the highways to improve driving safety,” he explains. “And now they are suddenly not necessary anymore? I doubt that. In addition, we are talking about a saving of five million euro per year. But when a few people suffer physical damage due to any road accident in the dark, the costs for medical treatment and revalidation will be much higher than 5 million euro. Also, the lights will suffer from erosion and will need to be replaced much sooner, which might be more expensive than the savings that have been postulated.”

 

Moreover the argument that switching off the lights is good for the environment is “complete rubbish,” according to Hamburger. “The government hasn’t cared about the environment for years. If one really cares about the small animals along the roadside and their environment, you should be consequent and also switch off the lights where cameras for speed control are present. Furthermore one could use LED light powered by solar energy; that will really save money.”

 

The NSWO, which represents 250 scientists and sleep doctors, wants to find out whether the number of accidents will increase on the dark highways. He doubts that the government will show factual statistics and will therefore approach news media such as BNR radio. It is hoped that, whenever an accident occurs on the highways, it will also be reported whether these took place on a highway with illumination or in the dark.