Is it OK to leave street lights on all night?

You are going to bed so you turn off the light switch. It's pitch black. As you walk through the living room in a daze, you then glance at your neighbor's house where light is peeking through the window.

You stop and wonder: will the burglar choose to break into your dark house or your neighbor's brightly lit house?

A search through online forums will give you two conflicting answers. Will you leave your lights on all night? Or is it better to turn off the lights?

This passage is going to talk about the followings of leaving street lights on all night:

1) Benefits of street lights

2) Using lights to mimic human activity

3) How to make your house safe?

1) Benefits of street lights

Winter is here: night falls, and in the northern hemisphere, the hours of darkness have outlasted the hours of daylight. Studies have shown that darkness causes a significant decrease in the number of people traveling on foot - mainly because people feel unsafe walking in the dark.

There may be an evolutionary explanation for why people feel unsafe at night - and we can't see that this may have exposed our ancestors to greater threats from predators. Today, the fear of pedestrians is no longer the prospect of savages eating food, but the fear of being robbed or victimized.

Some studies suggest that new outdoor lighting can reduce crime rates in an area, but there is conflicting evidence for this. A large review of one study found a link between new lighting and lower crime rates, but the improvements occurred mainly during the day and night, suggesting that street lighting is not the only factor. This review has also been criticized by other researchers, and numerous statistical analyses have found no link between crime rates and turning off or dimming streetlights at night.

Late street lighting may not have an effect on crime, but one thing is for sure - nighttime lighting does make people feel safer. This can lead to a significant increase in the amount of time people spend walking each week. It can also reduce the number of people who avoid leaving their homes at night, reduce social isolation, improve physical and mental health and increase community pride.

2) Using lights to mimic human activity

Some studies have shown a decrease in criminal activity on well-lit streets. Motion detection lights are also designed to increase safety. But it turns out that unless there is a specific strategy, the use of security lights will only be barely effective - and in the end, the most effective home burglary deterrent may just be good relations with neighbors.

"People who leave their lights on all day during the day actually get the attention of nighttime burglars," says Samantha Nolan, a citywide watch trainer for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department. "Because if you're home, you're about to turn off the lights, which indicates someone's home." Nolan also recommends that you install timers on indoor and outdoor lights to mimic human activity. For example, she said, outdoor lights should be on at night and off during the day, while indoor lights should be turned on and off in different rooms as if someone were walking around. If someone goes on vacation, these timers will play an even more important role.

3) How to make your home safe?

According to the FBI, most residential crimes actually occur during daylight hours. But most people don't realize it and turn off their burglar alarm systems during the day, Felson said. In his research, Felson found that this is when your neighbors get involved - especially retirees who stay in their homes.

Tips for keeping your home safe:

During the day, turn off outdoor lights and keep the alarm system powered on.

Install motion detection lights.

Set timers for lights, TVs and radios to mimic human activity.

Get to know your neighbors.

If no one is around to see, turn off the lights.

Establish neighborhood watch.