The appearance of purple street lights has raised concerns among city residents, officials, and business owners in recent years.
This striking color is unlike the normal amber or white that is found in most other areas. But why does this happen?
Is it a safety issue or just a technical error? This article explores the possible colors of streetlights, examines their impacts, and how a company dealing with outdoor lights can solve this challenge.
Why Are Street Lights Purple?
Purple street lights appear when the LED fixtures light emitted from them gets changed because of some unwanted IT issue. LEDs should ideally be emitting a warm white light or any other warm off-white color.
But when some parts of the LED lighting system breaks down, especially the coating of phosphor lighting, the resulting light is purple instead of white.
The LED light’s phosphor coating takes the blue light emitted by an LED chip and transforms it into white light. If the coating diminishes or gets damaged, the outcome will be closer to showing purple light.
Sometimes the issue does not lie with the LED bulb itself. A defective driver, which governs the amount of voltage and current going to the LED chip, could also be a problem.
If the driver is not able to provide the right amount of current, the light produced may undergo an unusual color shift. This phenomenon is mostly an indication of aging or system failure rather than a design intent.
Is It a Safety Concern?
The illumination of purple street lights brings some safety considerations into question regarding the visibility of the road for drivers or pedestrians.
With purple lighting, the surrounding area takes on a darker appearance, which could potentially lead to decreased visibility.
This is particularly worrisome to many drivers during the night, when the lighting conditions directly impact their capacity to drive safely without causing accidents.
It can also pose a risk to pedestrians because purple lighting changes the color of objects and people, which inhibits recognition of important details and potential dangers.
It is necessary to understand that not all purple lights are the result of a malfunction – some may have been put in place for aesthetic purposes. In certain municipalities, purple esthetics or event marks could use purple lights.
Here, the color is intentionally selected and merging it with bright and clear light doesn’t pose a threat to safety.
If you are a manufacturer of outdoor lights, you need to consider the impact that the color of light has on safety and visibility while designing and producing.
The outdoor lighting equipment must meet certain standards of brightness and color so that they can be safely and clearly used in public areas.
Why Are There Purple Street Lights in Some Places?
The phenomenon of “why is there purple street lights” has become somewhat synonymous with noticing purple lights.
More often than not, purple lights stem from the failure or damage of particular components of an LED.
That aside, some municipalities or property managers purposefully using this light to set a specific ambience or atmosphere.
For example, certain metropolitan regions switch on purple lights for holidays or special events so that they can give an enhancing look to parks and streets.
To meet the needs of cities and businesses, manufacturers of outdoor lighting need to know their requirements and preferences.
If the use of standard white lighting or colorful lighting for events is needed, it is still paramount that the lights provide the required functionality and safety standards.
How Outdoor Light Manufacturers Can Counteract Problems
Outdoor light manufacturers have great responsibility to make sure that public and commercial lighting systems are functional, safe, and of high quality to ensure durability over time.
In an effort to counteract the appearance of purple lights malfunctions, the manufacturers need to make sure there is reasonable quality control and use of quality materials in their products.
It involves choosing adequate LED chips, drivers, and applying proper protective phosphor coatings.
Moreover, there has to be periodic control and testing of street lighting systems done to spot worn out parts or failure before they cause problems.
These are steps that outdoor light manufacturers can take by collaborating with local authorities and business people to make sure that maintenance schedules are reliable so that the lighting systems can be maintained in perfect working order without any dysfunctional lights that pose danger to safety.
Benefits of Upgrading to Modern LED Systems
Despite the downsides of purple streetlights, like the aesthetics failing systems provide, they do provide an incentive to upgrade to LEDs as they come with a multitude of advantages.
Newer LED technologies come with improved energy efficiency, longer longevity, and better control over temperature and intensity of light emitted.
Choosing a reputable manufacturer of outdoor lights enables businesses and municipalities to beautify an area while simultaneously improving safety and security.
Through the use of smart lighting technologies, lights can be adjusted to different set brightness and colors depending on the time of a day or specific requirements for the area.
Such flexibility can contribute to improving the safety and functionality of lighting in suburbs and cities.
Conclusion
Purple street lights can be linked to dysfunctional or decaying components of LEDs. Although the change in color can be appealing, it does pose risks for drivers and pedestrians, particularly for beginners in areas with poor lighting.
For brand owners, city planners, and outdoor light manufacturers, prioritizing maintenance to guarantee that streetlight systems function efficiently and comply with set standards is crucial to eliminate these challenges.
Should you find purple street lights glowing in your neighborhood, that is most likely the result of malfunctioning parts in the LED system.
An expert outdoor light manufacturer will help mitigate these issues and make sure that the lighting systems are safe and fully operational.
The answer is in quality lighting products and proper maintenance for everyone to enjoy safe and illuminated outdoor spaces.
