Monday, 2 September 2013 - 04:04
When The Lights Went Out
It will be a lot darker on the road starting tonight. At a large part of the motorways in the Randstad, Noord Brabant and Limburg, the street lights will go out in the evening at 9.00 pm or 11.00 pm.
The title suggests that this article has something to do with the horror movie with the same name, which was released in 2012 and premiered at the Rotterdam Film Festival. It is however, one of the measures which were taken to cut the costs. The department of Public Works (Rijkswaterstaat) had already announced this last year. The intention is to save 35 million per year.
On most roads, the lights go out at 9.00 pm, on busier routes this will be at 11.00 pm. At 05.00 am the lights go on again. In places where safety is at stake, the lights will not go out during the night, for example in tunnels and at sharp bends
The measure has, in recent months, been gradually introduced in the east, center and north of the Netherlands.
The Dutch Society for Sleep and Wake Research has already warned for unsafe situations. The risk of accidents would be greater on unlit road. Minister of Infrastructure Melanie Schultz emphasized that light will remain on those tracks where it is needed.