CIE 180:2007

The great majority of the deaths from road accidents happen in the less-motorised developing regions of the world, particularly Asia - and the absolute numbers are growing. As in the highly motorised countries of the world, a significant proportion of accidents occur at night. This report deals with the part that better lighting and visibility can play in reducing the toll of death and injury; it is addressed to those involved in road safety work, not to lighting specialists. Its basic intentions are to guide, inform and encourage.

The report starts by explaining the basic "language of light" and defining the terms and quantities it uses. The night-time value of simple road markings and signs is then explained, stressing the importance of retroreflective materials. This leads to the role of vehicle lighting, with particular emphasis on the need for individual drivers to take responsibility for cleaning and aiming. A chapter on fixed roadway lighting deals with the basic design of simple installations and explains the many different factors that need to be considered. Because of its importance, maintenance is considered in a separate chapter. Finally, there is some general lighting-related material for use in road safety campaigns.

A consistent message of the report is that it is worth doing something rather than nothing, as long as it is done intelligently and with an understanding of the basic principles involved.

The report is written in English, with a short summary in French and German. It consists of 47 pages with 36 figures and 12 tables.