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 BRITISH STANDARD BS 5489-1:
1992
Incorporating
Amendment No. 1

Road lighting —
Part 1: Guide to the general principles
Licensed Copy: Giorgio Cavalieri, ALSTOM, 15-Mar-01, Uncontrolled Copy. © BSI
BS 5489-1:1992

Committees responsible for this

British Standard

The preparation of this British Standard was entrusted by the Electrical

Illumination Standards Policy Committee (LGL/-) to Technical Committee
LGL/23, upon which the following bodies were represented:

Automobile Association
British Lighting Association for the Preparation of Standards (Britlaps)
British Precast Concrete Federation Ltd.

Licensed Copy: Giorgio Cavalieri, ALSTOM, 15-Mar-01, Uncontrolled Copy. © BSI

Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers
Council for the Protection of Rural England
County Surveyors’ Society
Department of Transport
Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors
Institution of Civil Engineers
Institution of Electrical Engineers
Institution of Lighting Engineers
Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Lighting Industry Federation Ltd.
Royal Fine Art Commission
Scottish Office (Building Directorate)

This British Standard, having

been prepared under the
direction of the Electrical
Illumination Standards Policy
Committee, was published
under the authority of the
Standards Board and comes
into effect on
15 August 1992

© BSI 12-1998

First published as CP 1004

January 1952
Second edition October 1963
Third edition September 1973
(later amended to become Amendments issued since publication
BS 5489-1)
Fourth edition as BS 5489-1
February 1987 Amd. No. Date Comments
Fifth edition August 1992
9010 May 1996 Indicated by a sideline in the margin
The following BSI references
relate to the work on this
standard:
Committee reference LGL/23
Draft announced in BSI News
March 1992

ISBN 0 580 20895 8

 BS 5489-1:1992

Contents

Page
Committees responsible Inside front cover
Foreword ii
1 Scope 1
2 Definitions 1
3 Classification of installations 2
4 Aims of road lighting 3
5 Daytime appearance of installations 3
6 The visual scene by night 4
Licensed Copy: Giorgio Cavalieri, ALSTOM, 15-Mar-01, Uncontrolled Copy. © BSI

7 The visual task of the driver 5

8 Mechanism of road lighting 5
9 Lighting columns as hazards 7
10 Statutory requirements 7
11 Maintenance and operation 8
Appendix A Road surfaces 9
Figure 1 — “T” shaped bright area produced by a single luminaire 9
Figure 2 — Illustration of terms used to describe road surface textures 10
Figure 3 — Road surfaces having textures shown in Figure 2 11
Table 1 — Minumum desirable clearances from edge of carriageway to
face of column 7
Publication(s) referred to Inside back cover

© BSI 12-1998 i
BS 5489-1:1992

Foreword

This Part of BS 5489 has been prepared under the direction of the Electrical
Illumination Standards Policy Committee and is a new edition of BS 5489-1:1987,
which is withdrawn.
This is Part 1 of a series of standards and indicates general principles associated
with codes of practice for lighting roads of various degrees of importance, e.g. road
junctions, roundabouts, bridges and underpasses, on which the other Parts are
based.
Subsequent Parts deal in detail with the lighting of particular categories of road.
The 1987 edition became necessary following the decision to revise other Parts of

Licensed Copy: Giorgio Cavalieri, ALSTOM, 15-Mar-01, Uncontrolled Copy. © BSI

BS 5489 to bring them more into line with international road lighting philosophy.
This meant a change in emphasis in certain sections of this Part of BS 5489.
This edition introduces technical changes but it does not reflect a full review or
revision of the standard, which will be undertaken in due course. It introduces a
revised definition of maintenance factor and incorporates editorial
improvements.
A British Standard does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a
contract. Users of British Standards are responsible for their correct application.
Compliance with a British Standard does not of itself confer immunity
from legal obligations.

Summary of pages
This document comprises a front cover, an inside front cover, pages i and ii,
pages 1 to 12, an inside back cover and a back cover.
This standard has been updated (see copyright date) and may have had
amendments incorporated. This will be indicated in the amendment table on
the inside front cover.

ii © BSI 12-1998
 BS 5489-1:1992

1 Scope 2.7
discomfort glare
This Part of BS 5489 gives guidance on the general
principles of road lighting on which the other Parts glare that causes visual discomfort
are based. It covers recommendations relating to the 2.8
aesthetic and technical requirements of road effective width (WE)
lighting and a general explanation of the principles
a notional distance, related to the width of the
involved. It also covers maintenance and operation.
carriageway, the luminaire overhang and the
When using this code of practice, BS 5649-2 should arrangement, used to simplify the design tables
be consulted in order to determine the relation
Licensed Copy: Giorgio Cavalieri, ALSTOM, 15-Mar-01, Uncontrolled Copy. © BSI

2.9
between nominal height and mounting height and
equivalent veiling luminance
overhang and projection.
NOTE The titles of the publications referred to in this standard luminance that is, in effect, superimposed on the
are listed on the inside back cover. visual scene as a result of bright areas in the field of
view
2 Definitions NOTE Equivalent veiling luminance is used in the calculation
of disability glare where it is represented by the symbol Lv.
For the purposes of BS 5489 the definitions given in
BS 6100-2.4.1 apply, together with the following. 2.10
NOTE Definitions specific to a particular Part are given in that geometry (of a lighting system)
Part. the interrelated linear dimensions and
2.1 characteristics of the system, i.e. spacing, mounting
arrangement height, effective width, overhang and arrangement
the pattern according to which luminaires are sited 2.11
in plan, e.g. staggered, opposite, single side and twin light distribution
central the distribution of luminous intensity from a
2.2 luminaire in various directions in space
average luminance (of the road surface) 2.12
the average luminance over a defined area of the longitudinal uniformity ratio (of luminance)
road surface viewed from a specified observer (UL)
position the ratio of the minimum to the maximum
2.3 luminance along a longitudinal line through the
design attitude (of a luminaire) observed position on the carriageway
the disposition of a luminaire in space, usually 2.13
indicated by a diagram or by reference to a datum low threshold increment (LTI)
axis such as the spigot entry a classification applied to a luminaire when the
2.4 threshold increment it produces is not greater
design spacing than 15 % for at least 90 % of the geometries quoted
the required spacing between luminaire, calculated in each of the design tables for that luminaire
as specified in the various Parts of BS 5489, for a 2.14
straight and level section of the particular type of moderate threshold increment (MTI)
road a classification applied to a luminaire when it does
NOTE The particular types of road are identified in the not fall into the LTI category and the threshold
individual Parts of BS 5489.
increment it produces is not greater than 30 % for at
2.5 least 90 % of the geometries quoted in each of the
design table design tables for that luminaire
a table for a specified luminaire giving data that 2.15
enables spacing, threshold increment and surround mounting height
ratio to be determined for a range of geometries
the nominal vertical distance between the
2.6 photometric centre of a luminaire and the surface of
disability glare the carriageway
glare that impairs vision

© BSI 12-1998 1
BS 5489-1:1992
2.16
overall uniformity ratio (of luminance) (UO)
the ratio of the minimum to the average luminance
over a defined area of the road surface viewed from
a specified observer position
2.17
overhang
the distance measured horizontally between the
photometric centre of a luminaire and the adjacent
edge of a carriageway. The distance is taken to be
positive if the luminaires are in front of the edge and
negative if they are behind the edge
NOTE For installation purposes, the centre of a lamp or lamps
may be regarded as the photometric centre of a luminaire.
2.18
set back
the shortest distance from the forward face of a
column to the edge of a carriageway
2.19
spacing
the distance, measured parallel to the centreline of
the carriageway, between successive luminaires in
an installation
NOTE In a staggered installation, the distance is measured
parallel to the centreline of the carriageway, between a luminaire
on one side of the carriageway and the next luminaire on the
other side of the carriageway.
2.20
surround ratio (SR)
the ratio of the average illuminance on a strip 5 m in
width beside the carriageway to the average
illuminance on the adjacent 5 m strip of
carriageway
2.21
threshold increment (TI)
a notional measure of the effect of disability glare
from street luminaires
NOTE The formula from which it is calculated is based on the
percentage increase in the luminance of the road surface that
would be needed to make an object just visible in the presence of
glare when it is just visible in the absence of glare, i.e. where the
luminaires are screened from the observer.
2.22
initial luminous flux of lamp
the luminous flux of a lamp in lumens after an
initial ageing period under stated running
conditions
2.23
lamp flux maintenance factor
the proportion of the initial luminous flux of a lamp
that is produced after a set time
2 © BSI 12-1998
2.24
luminaire maintenance factor
the light output ratio of a luminaire after a set time
in service divided by its initial light output ratio
2.25
initial light level
the light level of an installation with new and clean
luminaires fitted with lamps having initial
Licensed Copy: Giorgio Cavalieri, ALSTOM, 15-Mar-01, Uncontrolled Copy. © BSI
luminous flux
NOTE Light level may be quantified by horizontal illuminance
or luminance, or any other appropriate lighting quantity.
2.26
maintained average light level
the average light level below which the performance
of an installation is not allowed to fall and is the
product of the initial light level, the luminaire
maintenance factor and the lamp flux maintenance
factor or the initial light level and the maintenance
factor
2.27
maintenance factor (MF)
the product of the lamp flux maintenance factor and
the luminaire maintenance factor
NOTE For the purposes of calculation of road surface
luminance, it is assumed that there is no depreciation of the
reflection of the road surface.
2.28
full cut off (FCO) luminaire
a classification applied to a luminaire, which, when
installed at the specified design attitude gives zero
intensity at and above the horizontal
NOTE Such a luminaire may have a further classification with
respect to TI.
3 Classification of installations
3.1 Basis of lighting requirements
The level and type of lighting adopted for a road are
based mainly on its traffic importance but should
also take into account other relevant factors. These
include the presence of factories or public resorts,
use by public service vehicles, the character of the
road, e.g. whether the road is a shopping area or a
trunk road in open country, aesthetic
considerations, the properties of the carriageway
surface and the existence of crests, bends, long
straight stretches, adjacent cycleways and footways
and overhanging trees.
3.2 Classification
For the purposes of BS 5489, road lighting is
classified into the nine groups given below.
a) Lighting for traffic routes (BS 5489-2).
b) Lighting for subsidiary roads and associated
pedestrian areas (BS 5489-3).

c) Lighting for single-level road junctions
including roundabouts (BS 5489-4).
d) Lighting for grade-separated junctions
(BS 5489-5).
e) Lighting for bridges and elevated roads
(BS 5489-6).
f) Lighting for tunnels and underpasses
(BS 5489-7).
g) Lighting for roads near aerodromes, railways,
Licensed Copy: Giorgio Cavalieri, ALSTOM, 15-Mar-01, Uncontrolled Copy. © BSI
docks and navigable waterways (BS 5489-8).
h) Lighting for urban centres and public amenity
areas (BS 5489-9).
i) Lighting for motorways (BS 5489-10).
4 Aims of road lighting
Road lighting should reveal all the features of the
road and traffic that are important to all users
including pedestrians and police. Lighting
installations should be of pleasing appearance by
both day and night and their effect on buildings and
monuments should be considered.
5 Daytime appearance of installations
NOTE This clause has been based on views expressed by the
Royal Fine Art Commission. It indicates some matters that
should receive attention and gives guidance on them, but it is
recognized that in aesthetics absolute standards cannot be
prescribed. Furthermore, considerations of safety should
normally take precedence over those of aesthetics in the event of
any conflict of interest between these two factors. In cases of
special aesthetic importance, the advice of the Royal Fine Art
Commission1) should be sought.
5.1 Design and siting
The design and siting of street furniture can make a
great difference to the street picture, even though
this may not be consciously appreciated. In
situations such as a processional way or
monumental bridge, the design and placing of
columns can make a positive formal contribution to
the scene. In such cases, the siting should be
carefully related to the architectural or landscape
setting and it may be desirable for the equipment to
be specially designed. More usually, however,
buildings, trees, paved surfaces, grass and of course
people provide all the interest required, and in
general street furniture should be made as
unobtrusive as possible.
1)
7 St.James Square, London
© BSI 12-1998
BS 5489-1:1992
5.2 Relation between height of column and
surroundings
It is advantageous visually that the height of the
column and luminaire should not exceed that of
nearby objects. In some towns and villages this
probably means the height of the eaves of a two
storey house, approximately 6 m. If mounting
heights are reduced, adjustments to other
parameters may have to be made, e.g. increasing the
number of luminaires.
NOTE It is generally aesthetically preferable in a street to
avoid columns altogether and use wall brackets instead.
Where a solid background is absent, the columns
and luminaires will tend to be silhouetted against
the sky in daytime. The conspicuousness of the
installation as a whole should, in these
circumstances, be reduced by increasing the
mounting height and spacing (the latter in order to
decrease the number of columns).
5.3 Size and type of luminaire
Long horizontal luminaires may look oppressive
against the sky if they are deep, although they may
be acceptable against a background of high
buildings. In this respect, side entry rather than top
entry should be considered.
5.4 Form of bracket
Large arcs or quadrants are usually more
conspicuous than straight lines, because they
contrast more with the surrounding lines of roofs. A
straight horizontal bracket gives the illusion of
sagging; a straight rising bracket is preferable, but
with a side entry luminaire a segmented bracket
may provide a smoother junction with the
luminaire. A smooth line should be preserved, if
possible, where there is a row of luminaires. A very
long bracket, such as might result from siting the
column well back from the kerb line and using the
maximum permissible overhang, may present a
poor appearance. This should be avoided unless
used for reasons of safety (see clause 9 and
BS 5489-2) or when surrounding objects effectively
obscure its full length.
5.5 Assembly of column, bracket and
luminaire
The lighting unit should be considered as a whole
even though it consists of the separate parts of
column, bracket and luminaire; a luminaire which is
aesthetically suitable with one column may be
incongruous with another. Luminaires and columns
are often made by different manufacturers and
therefore great care should be exercised in the
choice of equipment to ensure a good aesthetic
match.
3
BS 5489-1:1992
5.6 Arrays of luminaires
A combination of luminaire, bracket and column
that is satisfactory as a single unit may not look
good when a number are seen together, especially in
long, straight or slightly sinuous roads and at
complex junctions. In a long, straight road an array
of curved brackets may make a tunnel; in a slightly
sinuous road such brackets appear to interlace and
form a confusing and ugly pattern. At complex
junctions where brackets are turned in many
directions, the effect can be very unpleasing,
particularly with long luminaires or inclined
luminaires. High mast installations should in some
cases be considered in order to alleviate this
problem.
5.7 Material of column and bracket
The material of the column and the bracket may
affect both their finish and their shape in cross
section. It is visually preferable that the column and
bracket should be as slender as possible.
5.8 Siting
Wherever possible, columns should not be sited
directly in front of buildings or monuments of
architectural interest, and they are better placed at
the junction of two buildings. They should not
interfere with important oblique views of an
outstanding building, such as a church tower, nor
should they interfere with scenic views. If columns
are essential in such cases, they may sometimes be
placed against groups of trees so that they have
little effect on the view. Trees in streets and front
gardens contribute greatly to the effectiveness of the
street picture and deserve special consideration.
Columns should be sited so as not to require serious
cutting back of the trees. In an avenue, an
alternative may be to mount luminaires centrally.
In new streets where trees are to be planted,
however, the lighting should be designed first and
the planting sites fixed afterwards. Trees of suitable
habit should be chosen and their effect when mature
and in leaf should be considered. It is not necessary
for trees to be closely planted to given an attractive
impression. The trees and the luminaires should be
so sited that trees do not cut off light from the
carriageways or cast confusing shadows.
4 © BSI 12-1998
5.9 Colour of lighting equipment
Sober and subdued colours should be the preferred
colours for all lighting equipment. Only in
exceptional cases should bright colours be
considered, e.g. in a seaside promenade and as a
temporary device to mark some festive occasion.
Generally, “cool” colours, e.g. silver, blue and lilac,
are preferable to “warm” colours, e.g. yellow, gold,
brown and red. Black or a shade of black,
Licensed Copy: Giorgio Cavalieri, ALSTOM, 15-Mar-01, Uncontrolled Copy. © BSI
e.g. blue-black and green-black, looks very good in
nearly any surrounding and there are many subtle
shades of grey which can be used with confidence,
e.g. colour codes 18B21 and 10A11 in BS 4800.
Complete uniformity in detailed design or colour of
equipment over large districts is not necessary and
some differences in character, with changes in the
surroundings, may be desirable.
6 The visual scene by night
6.1 General
Another aspect of planning any lighting scheme is
the positive contribution it can make to the
improvement of the night environment. Much can
be done in basic design to ensure that the lighting
directly helps to create a pleasant and attractive
after dark atmosphere, especially for areas of civic
importance (see BS 5489-9).
It should be appreciated that while efficient lighting
for traffic and pedestrian safety is essential,
consideration of the effective lighting of the whole
visual scene at night is highly desirable for many
reasons. In lighting urban and residential roads,
amenity and environmental requirements should
always be given full consideration and there should
be an appreciation of the assistance lighting can
afford to crime prevention.
In civic centres, shopping streets, boulevards,
promenades and other places that are the hub of
social activities, prestige lighting is highly
desirable, and there are many ways in which
utilitarian lighting can also help the desirable
“night-scaping” of towns and cities. With inspired
design suited to the location, it can form the
background for the floodlighting of buildings of civic,
architectural or historical interest, e.g. the
decorative lighting of parks and gardens. Artificial
lighting effects extend the usefulness of these
daytime features and, by becoming attractive focal
points, can in most urban areas add to the overall
beauty and common interest of the night
environment.

The appearance of lighting schemes in
environmentally sensitive rural areas when seen
from within these and adjacent areas should be
given particular attention. Such areas include green
belts, national parks and areas of outstanding
natural beauty. Similarly, schemes close to the edge
of existing residential areas should also receive
special attention. In these cases the light
distribution should be controlled to minimize light
spill on adjoining areas.
Licensed Copy: Giorgio Cavalieri, ALSTOM, 15-Mar-01, Uncontrolled Copy. © BSI
6.2 Limitation of spill light
For information on lighting in the vicinity of
airfields, railways and navigable waters,
see BS 5489-8.
6.3 Obtrusive light and sky glow
In some cases lighting can be intrusive at night, for
example in rural and open areas where lighting can
be seen as an intrusion in an otherwise darkened
environment.
Light above the horizontal should be minimized in
all installations. In residential areas preference
should be given to the use of luminaires which are
designed to reduce upward light output ratio to a
minimum. Precautions should be taken to avoid
unnecessary light intrusion onto adjacent
properties, however, a limited level of illumination
onto front gardens and the face of properties can be
beneficial in enhancing the appearance of the area
and the protection of property.
NOTE For further information, reference can be made to
“Guidance Notes for the Reduction of Light Pollution”, published
by the Institution of Lighting Engineers2).
FCO luminaires should be considered in the
following situations:
— traffic routes in environmentally sensitive and
open areas (4.3 of Part 2 and Part 8);
— roundabouts and mini roundabouts,
particularly in environmentally sensitive areas
and/or with unlit approach roads (8.6 of Part 4);
— elevated roads and bridges (3.1 of Part 6);
— motorways in open areas (3.6 of Part 10).
For information on lighting in the vicinity of
astronomical observatories, see joint IAU/CIE
Publication “Guidelines for minimising urban sky
glow near astronomical observatories” (IAU, CIE
Publication No. 1:1980)3).
2)
Obtainable from the Institution of Lighting Engineers, Lennox House, 9 Lawford Road, Rugby CV21 2DZ.
3)
Obtainable in the UK from NIC(GB), Delta House, 222, Balham High Road, London SW12 9BS.
© BSI 12-1998
BS 5489-1:1992
7 The visual task of the driver
The driver of a moving vehicle has to absorb
sufficient visual information from the continually
changing view in front of him so that he can proceed
safely at a reasonable speed, see his route ahead,
respond to signs and manoeuvre in good time.
As only the small central part of the field of vision of
a driver will be in sharp focus, most information will
be received peripherally and, therefore, not in
detail. A significant object in a driver’s field of vision
should cause him to turn his attention on it directly
but for a driver to detect the presence of an object it
has to present sufficient contrast against its
background. This is true by both day and night, but
at night the driver’s ability to perceive contrast is
considerably poorer at lower lighting levels. Road
lighting should, therefore, aim to make the general
scene as bright as possible and to maximize the
contrast between objects and their background.
8 Mechanism of road lighting
8.1 General
Whereas in most lighting the aim is to light objects
of interest rather than their background, in road
lighting the converse is true. In this way, the
relatively small amount of light available for road
lighting should be used to maximum effect by
lighting the road surface and the immediate
surrounds against which objects will generally
appear in silhouette. The success of this method of
lighting depends on designing the distribution of the
light from the luminaires to take advantage of the
reflection properties of the road surface.
8.2 The function of the luminaire
An individual luminaire mounted over an empty
carriageway makes a portion of the road and
footway bright and also lights and models other
parts of the surroundings. To a driver approaching
this luminaire, the patch of light on the road
generally assumes a “T” shape (see Figure 1),
having a discernible “head” and “tail” orientated
towards the observer. The head of the patch does not
usually extend much beyond the point on the road
below the luminaire. The shape and luminance of
this patch depend upon the light distribution of the
luminaire (in terms of both shape and quantity) and
on the properties of the road surface.
5
BS 5489-1:1992
8.3 Properties of the road surface
The physical properties of the road surface that
influence the shape and luminance of the individual
bright patches are as follows and as shown
in Figure 2 and Figure 3.
a) The macroscopic surface texture (or
macro-texture), which is determined by the size
and angularity of the exposed aggregate, or
surface treatments, such as crimping and
tamping. The visual appearance of macro-texture
leads to descriptions such as rough and smooth.
b) The microscopic surface texture (or
micro-texture), which is determined by the state
of polish of the individual components of the
surface. Micro-texture of dry surfaces can be
experienced by touch, leading to descriptions
such as harsh or polished.
c) The lightness of the surface, which is usually
determined by the colour of the stones at the top
of the texture.
The effect of these properties is as follows.
1) For dry surfaces, all three properties together
influence the breadth, length and luminance of
the patch.
At one extreme, a dark coloured, polished stone
will reduce the luminance of the head to the “T”
and produce a long bright tail. The overall
pattern will then consist of longitudinal streaks
of light. The average luminance will not be low,
however, as the loss of brightness in the head of
each “T” will be slightly more than compensated
for by the bright streak of the tail.
At the other extreme, a rough textured, harsh
surface made with white stones will produce a
broad, bright head to the “T” and a very small
tail. The average luminance will be high with a
reasonable overall uniformity, but the
longitudinal uniformity will be poor if the
luminance patches do not join together along the
road.
Most road surfaces in use today lie between
these extremes.
2) On wet surfaces, the lightness of the surface is
of less importance.
The macro-texture will determine the extent to
which the visible water-film will be affected by
the amount of rainfall. A visible water-film will
act in the same way as a polished micro-texture
to lengthen and strengthen the tail of the
luminance patch. The effect will be to produce
the familiar longitudinal streaks. A rougher
macro-texture will limit the occurrence of the
effect to more extreme weather conditions.
6 © BSI 12-1998
The selection of the road surface directly affects the
performance of the lighting installation. Increasing
the roughness of the macro-texture will improve the
wet-weather performance. Avoiding non-polishable
aggregates in the wearing course of a road surface
will prevent a streaky appearance and maintain
skid resistance. Some proportion of white stones in
the surface will improve luminance level and
uniformity. Other considerations are discussed in
Licensed Copy: Giorgio Cavalieri, ALSTOM, 15-Mar-01, Uncontrolled Copy. © BSI
appendix A.
8.4 Superimposition of the bright patches
The appearance of the lighted roadway results from
the superimposition of the bright patches formed by
the luminaires. The design of the lighting
installation involves positioning the luminaires so
that the bright patches coalesce to give the road
surface an average luminance with overall and
longitudinal uniformities which are satisfactory for
the use of the road.
8.5 Lighting of objects
Since the aim of road lighting is generally to reveal
objects in silhouette, the illuminance of vertical and
nearly vertical surfaces should be as low as possible.
This is achieved at most positions on the road as a
result of the inter-relation of the spacing of the
luminaires, their mounting height and their light
distribution. A light coloured object may appear in
reversed silhouette and there will be a certain
reflectance of the object which will give it the same
luminance as that of the road forming the
background, making it disappear. In practice, this is
unlikely to occur, firstly because objects are viewed
against a considerable stretch of road or road
surrounds, which will show some unevenness of
luminance, and secondly because objects are rarely
of uniform reflectance. In addition, as the driver
moves his position, the background against which
the object is viewed changes, thereby helping to
reveal the object.
8.6 Lighting of the surrounds
Objects on the footway, or to one side of the
carriageway, or in the centre of the carriageway but
on a bend will be seen at least partially against the
surrounds to the road. It is important, therefore,
that these should receive sufficient light to provide
an effectively bright background, or if such a
background is absent to reveal objects by positive
contrast. This light is also of assistance to the
pedestrian as it reveals the footway surface,
obstructions and other pedestrians. In BS 5489-2 it
is quantified by the surround ratio (SR).

8.7 Glare
There are two types of glare: disability glare and
discomfort glare. In this standard it is disability
glare on which quantitative limits are set. If these
limits are met, it can be assumed that discomfort
glare will also be within acceptable limits.
Disability glare may be thought of as resulting from
the scattering of light within the eye, so reducing
contrasts. The equivalent effect may be obtained by
Licensed Copy: Giorgio Cavalieri, ALSTOM, 15-Mar-01, Uncontrolled Copy. © BSI
superimposing a uniform luminance veil over the
scene, which is quantified as the equivalent veiling
luminance. The magnitude of this depends on the
intensity of the light directed towards the driver’s
eyes by the luminaires and the angles at which they
are seen. While the degree of disability glare
increases with the equivalent veiling luminance it
decreases as a function of the average road
luminance. It is expressed in terms of threshold
increment and is explained in BS 5489-2.
To reduce disability glare the background
luminance should be as high as possible (light
coloured buildings beyond the footway are therefore
advantageous) and light intensities from luminaires
at angles greater than 70° from the vertical and
directed towards approaching drivers should be
controlled. Intensities at angles less than 70° do not
usually add to disability glare because at these
angles the roofs of vehicles generally provide
screening of the luminaires from the view of the
driver.
9 Lighting columns as hazards
9.1 General
Many accidents involve a motor vehicle leaving the
carriageway, and if the vehicle collides with a
lighting column the severity of injuries to the
occupants is likely to be increased. The number of
such collisions is likely to decrease with the
increased clearance of the lighting columns from the
edge of the carriageway, and recommended
minimum desirable clearances according to the
design speed of the road are given in Table 1. The
set back of columns should allow the free passage of
blind persons, perambulators and wheelchairs on
the footway. Where practicable, it may be preferable
to support the luminaires on wall brackets.
© BSI 12-1998
BS 5489-1:1992
Table 1 — Minumum desireable clearances
from edge of carriageway to face of column
Design speed Clearance
km/h m
50 0.8
80 Absolute minimum 1
Recommended minimum 1.5
100 Absolute minimum 1.5
120 Absolute minimum 1.5
The lowest point of luminaires or bracket arms that
overhang the carriageway or are within the
respective horizontal clearances given in Table 1
should have a vertical clearance of at least 5.7 m
from the level of the carriageway surface.
9.2 Breakaway or energy absorbing columns
On roads where traffic speeds are high and there are
few pedestrians, the installation of these columns
should be considered to reduce the severity of injury
to the occupants of vehicles colliding with them.
10 Statutory requirements
It should be noted that the provision of road lighting
on a previously unlit road may involve statutory
requirements. Hence the lighting engineer is
advised to consult the current statutory
instruments when designing a new lighting scheme.
The following regulations especially should be
consulted.
a) The Traffic Signs Regulations and General
Directions 1981 (SI 1981 No. 859), Regulation 15,
which requires certain road signs to be
illuminated.
b) The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, which
deals with the link between speed limits and a
“system of street lighting.”
c) The Highways (Road Hump) Regulations 1990
(SIs 1990 Nos. 703 and 1500), which deal with
the lighting in the vicinity of road humps
constructed to limit the speed of traffic.
7
BS 5489-1:1992
11 Maintenance and operation
11.1 Maintenance
It is essential that cleaning and lamp replacement
routines should be closely followed to maintain the
installation. Maintenance programmes should
include lamp replacement, luminaire cleaning,
renewal of failed parts, checking of gaskets and
optical components, lubrication, painting and night
inspections.
Apart from the deterioration of luminaire parts,
which can be corrected by cleaning, there is also a
longer term deterioration which is permanent and
cumulative. Restoration of photometric
performance may, therefore, require replacement of
optical systems or even the whole luminaire. Site
tests should be carried out at intervals of not more
than five years to check that performance is
acceptable.
The procedure according to which lamps are
replaced is a matter of local policy, cost and lamp
type used. The cost of replacing lamps on demand
should be compared with that of group replacement.
In making the comparison the following factors are
among those that should be considered:
a) the shape of the lamp survival curve for its
environment;
b) the lamp lumen depreciation curve;
c) ease of access, e.g. extent of signing and coning
required;
8 © BSI 12-1998
d) interference with traffic;
e) the required frequency of patrolling for
outages;
f) the frequency of need for cleaning of
luminaires;
g) the overall proportion of outages that can be
tolerated;
h) the grouping of outages that can be tolerated;
Licensed Copy: Giorgio Cavalieri, ALSTOM, 15-Mar-01, Uncontrolled Copy. © BSI
i) the frequency of inspection for electrical safety.
11.2 Hours of operation
Road lighting is required during all the hours of
darkness, independently of traffic flow, and should
normally be in full operation from about 30 min
after sunset to about 30 min before sunrise.
Questions of local policy are outside the scope of this
guide, which deals only with technical matters.
However, it should be noted that lighting serves
emergency services, public security and pedestrians
as well as drivers and that extinguishing lighting
during the hours of darkness is detrimental to these
interests.
The practice of extinguishing certain luminaires
when the traffic flow is small does not fulfil the
lighting needs of vehicular traffic and may increase
the likelihood of collision with columns.

Appendix A Road surfaces
The main types of wearing courses used in the UK
for road construction are asphalts, surface
dressings, macadams and concrete, the individual
lives and properties of which vary considerably. The
important property for road lighting of all these
types is the light reflection, as discussed in 8.3. For
calculation purposes, this can be represented by an
r-table, which is described in BS 5489-2 and CIE
Licensed Copy: Giorgio Cavalieri, ALSTOM, 15-Mar-01, Uncontrolled Copy. © BSI
Publication No. 66 (1984) which is obtainable from
Bureau Central de la CIE, A-1030 Vienna
Kegelgasse 27, Austria.
Figure 1 — “T” shaped bright area produced by a single luminaire
© BSI 12-1998
BS 5489-1:1992
The Highways Department should be consulted for
information on the expected life of a surface, the
type of wearing course with which it is expected to
be renewed and the kind of aggregate likely to be
used. Similarly, the Highways Department should
be made aware of installations where systems that
depend upon specific surface properties are being
considered, so that these properties can be
maintained throughout the life of the installation.
It should always be borne in mind that the lighting
and the road surface are essentially one system and
that the surface is likely to be replaced during the
life of the lighting installation.
9
BS 5489-1:1992

Surface illustrated in Figure 3 Scale of texture

Macro (large) Micro (fine)

A Rough Harsh

Licensed Copy: Giorgio Cavalieri, ALSTOM, 15-Mar-01, Uncontrolled Copy. © BSI

B Rough Polished

C Smooth Harsh

D Smooth Polished

Figure 2 — Illustration of terms used to describe road surface textures

10 © BSI 12-1998
Licensed Copy: Giorgio Cavalieri, ALSTOM, 15-Mar-01, Uncontrolled Copy. © BSI BS 5489-1:1992

Figure 3 — Road surfaces having textures shown in Figure 2

© BSI 12-1998 11
Licensed Copy: Giorgio Cavalieri, ALSTOM, 15-Mar-01, Uncontrolled Copy. © BSI

blank
12
 BS 5489-1:1992

Publication(s) referred to

BS 4800, Schedule for paint colours for building purposes.

BS 5489, Road lighting.
BS 5489-2, Code of practice for lighting for traffic routes.
BS 5489-3, Code of practice for lighting for subsidiary roads and associated pedestrian areas.
BS 5489-4, Code of practice for lighting for single-level road junctions including roundabouts.
BS 5489-5, Code of practice for lighting for grade-separated junctions.
BS 5489-6, Code of practice for lighting for bridges and elevated roads.
BS 5489-7, Code of practice for lighting of underpasses and bridged roads.
Licensed Copy: Giorgio Cavalieri, ALSTOM, 15-Mar-01, Uncontrolled Copy. © BSI

BS 5489-8, Code of practice for lighting for roads near aerodromes, railways, docks and navigable
waterways.
BS 5489-9, Code of practice for lighting for urban centres and public amenity areas.
BS 5649, Lighting columns.
BS 5649-2, Dimensions and tolerances.
BS 6100, Glossary of building and civil engineering terms.
BS 6100-2.4.1, Highway engineering.

© BSI 12-1998
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