為了減少碳排放、光污染與節省經費，英國公路管理局將關掉並拆除高速公路的部分路燈。
該機構計畫永久關閉且撤除M1高速公路（連接倫敦與里茲的南北向公路）貝德福都郡區段的照明，希望藉由減少電力網的用電量，能減少二氧化碳的排放量。
公路管理局日前表示，「經過仔細評估，分析報告顯示，關掉10號(Luton)與13號交會處(Milton Keynes)之間延伸路段的照明，不會影響到道路使用者的安全。」高速公路交會處與其通道，以及M1高速公路在盧頓北部11號交會處兩側的道路燈柱都即將撤除，但公路仍然會有光線。
公路管理局表示，有天然光線的交流道，即使關閉其主要車道的照明、移除其燈柱，仍然能整夜有光。道路管理局局長坦納預估，「我們期待M1高速公路能一年減少810公頓的碳排放。」另外，「當地居民也能從中獲益，遭受較少來自夜空的光汙染。」
到目前為止，公路工程處已關閉英國境內14個地點內九條高速公路(全長總計47.4英里的道路照明，這些路段日後將不再使用照明設備。
最近的行動是在3月30日，當時開始實施在凌晨12點至5點之間，關掉西米德蘭郡(the West Midlands)M54高速公路一個區段的沿線照明設備。
公路管理局在西米德蘭郡的分局長哈伯特表示，「我們一直在尋求減少高速公路網絡碳足跡的方法，藉由關閉14處高速公路照明設備的措施，我們又往這個的方向邁向一步。」哈伯特說，「我們期待這14個地點能像其他地方一樣運作良好―達到40%的碳減量、節省40%的能源用量，並為當地居民減少夜空的光害。」
英國公路管理局是英國運輸部門的執行機關，代表運輸部長負責管理國內的高速公路與其他策略道路。事實上，公路管理局新的「少光」政策，完全符合「管控高速公路」概念。自2009年起，公路管理局已經開始嘗試管控高速公路，包括利用多樣的速度限制來紓解交通量、在繁忙時段開放路肩作為額外交通道路，以及在尖峰時刻實施交流道管制。
公路管理局表示，「高速公路管控在沒有照明設備的情況下也能進行，照樣能紓緩交通流量，也不會影響行車安全。」坦納說明，「自2009年起，我們已經在14處仔細挑選過的高速公路路段關掉其凌晨12點至5點的照明。」而且，「截至目前為止，相關證據顯示，關掉照明設備對於行車安全沒有絲毫的影響。」
「今年三月，我們也永久關閉了三個地點的高速公路照明設備。」
現在，管理局正在將M1高速公路上10號與13號交會處之間的15英里長路段升級為管控公路。自8月17日開始，將逐步關閉照明與移除燈柱，預計在2012年的秋天之前完成。管理局也將在M1的24-7區段裝設低照度閉路電視攝影系統，以便公路局人員監視道路情形；即使沒有照明，這些閉路電視也能發揮功能。
管理局表示，局方對於無照明設備公路的安全性如此有自信是因為經過分析與觀察，「針對關掉照明設備後的分析報告指出，就交通量與車速而言，行車者的行為模式並沒有受到任何影響。」
坦納說，「我們並非要移除所有高速公路的照明，而是要找出在有配套措施的原則下，可以不用照明設備的地點。」「移除照明設備而節省下來的經費可以用在道路管控策略的其他項措施，這樣一來，行車安全有更大保障，也或許能因此避免因車禍引起的許多傷亡。」
The UK Highways Agency is switching off and removing motorway lighting to reduce carbon emissions and light pollution - and save money.
The agency will permanently shut off and take out motorway lighting on Bedfordshire sections of the M1 motorway, a north-south road in England that connects London to Leeds. This will reduce heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions, by lessening the electricity draw from the power grid.
"Following a careful assessment, analysis shows that the lights can be switched off on stretches of the motorway between junctions 10 (Luton) and 13 (Milton Keynes) without affecting road user safety," the agency said in a statement Wednesday.
The motorway junctions and their approaches, and a section of the M1 on either side of junction 11 at north Luton, will have lighting columns replaced and remain lit.
Junctions which are already lit will remain lit throughout the night, even if the lights on the main carriageway are switched off and columns removed, the agency said.
"We anticipate achieving an annual reduction in carbon emissions on this M1 stretch of about 810 tonnes," estimated Derek Turner, director for the Highways Agency. "Local communities will also benefit from reduced light pollution of the night sky."
To date, the Highways Agency has switched off lighting at 14 sites on nine motorways across the country for a total of 47.4 miles where lighting is no longer used.
The most recent action came on March 30, when motorway lighting along a section of the M54 in the West Midlands began being switched off between midnight and 5am.
West Midlands Divisional Director for the Highways Agency Tim Harbot said then, "We are continually looking for ways to reduce the carbon footprint of operating the motorway network and this is another step in that direction, bringing the total number of sites on England's motorway network to 14."
"We expect these sites to work as successfully as everywhere else - achieving up to a 40 percent saving in carbon emissions and energy use as well as giving local communities reduced light pollution of the night sky," said Harbot.
The Highways Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Transport that manages England's motorways and other strategic roads on behalf of the Secretary of State.
In fact, the agency's new less-lighting policy fits in to the overall concept of "managed motorways."
Since 2009, the agency has been experimenting with managed motorways, which use variable speed limits to relieve congestion; open up the hard shoulder as an additional traffic lane during busy periods; and also may limit access from on-ramps at peak times.
"Managed motorways can also be operated unlit, without affecting their proven congestion-reducing and safety benefits," the agency declared.
"Since 2009 we've switched lighting off between the hours of midnight and 5 am on 14 carefully selected stretches of motorways," said Turner, "and evidence so far indicates that switching off the lights hasn't had an impact on safety."
"In March this year we also began permanently switching off motorway lights at three sites," he said.
Sites where lights are switched off permanently are: M58 between Skelmersdale Junction 4 to Orrell Junction 6 (3.8 miles); M65 between Dunkenhalgh Park Junction 7 to Burnley Junction 10 (5.5 miles); M66 between Walmersley Junction 1 to Simister Roundabout Junction 4 (6.6 miles).
Currently, work is underway to upgrade 15 miles of the M1 between junctions 10 and 13 to a managed motorway, Turner said. Starting on August 17, the switch-off and removal of lighting columns will be carried out in phases until autumn 2012, alongside work to complete the managed motorways scheme.
A low-light CCTV camera system, which is able to operate without motorway lighting, will be installed so Highways Agency staff can monitor these M1 motorway sections 24-7.
The agency said its confidence in the safety of unlit motorways comes from analysis and observation. "Analysis carried out since the start of motorway lighting switch off suggests that driver behavior does not appear to have been affected in terms of traffic volumes and speed."
Turner said, "This is not about wishing to remove all lights from the motorway network. It's about carefully identifying the locations where, under the revised guidelines, we would no longer install lighting."
"The money saved could then be used for other measures on the strategic road network where it would have a more significant safety benefit and potentially save more lives," he said.
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