DW Windsor advises how to light pedestrian crossings

DW Windsor advises how to light pedestrian crossings

When lighting a crossing there are three principle issues to consider: You must ensure the crossing is highly visible and distinguishable from the surrounding area, that there is clear visibility of pedestrians approaching and using the crossing, and to minimise glare to drivers.

A solution for these issues can be found in asymmetric lighting, which provides a high vertical illuminance on the pedestrian from the driver’s position, as well as supplementary lighting that creates a clear contrast between the regular road lighting and the crossing, with clearly defined edges. It’s also important to ensure there is adequate lighting for adjacent footways.

Luminaires should be installed 1m from the pedestrian crossing and use a low mounting height of 5-6m. As a general rule – the lower the better.

A contrasting lamp colour from the surrounding road lighting is recommended as an effective way to highlight the carpet, for example white light on the crossing in a high pressure Sodium (SON) road installation. The same effect can be achieved in LED schemes with a simple change in colour temperature.

Luminaires need to be as glare free as possible to ensure maximum visibility through the crossing area, as pedestrians will often try to cross short of the crossing itself. Flat glass luminaires are therefore best.

The light distribution from the luminaire needs to provide high levels of vertical illuminance onto the crossing pedestrians, to ensure that they are visible to approaching motorists. TR12 recommends three separate vertical calculation planes, covering the width of the crossing to ensure good visibility of the pedestrian.

The Zebra luminaires from DW Windsor have optical systems specially designed to provide local lighting and are available in a variety of styles to match the aesthetics of luminaires used elsewhere on the scheme.

The Zebra crossing lights have been designed to provide visual comfort for both motorists and pedestrians. They provide an asymmetric light distribution highlighting pedestrians on the crossing and illuminating pedestrians waiting to cross.

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