There are several advantages to using LEDs for highway illumination rather than conventional lights. The primary advantages are better energy efficiency, lower running costs, and a higher quality of illumination than is available with standard lights. Each of these advantages is sufficient to convince municipal users to make the move, and when combined, they establish LED technology as the sole viable option for new or retrofit street and highway lighting.

Among the many advantages of LED lighting, energy efficiency and cost savings are by far the most well-known and influential factors in deciding to make the transition. In certain circumstances, consumers may realize an increase in energy savings of more than 60% when compared to current fixtures. This huge increase in efficiency throughout the life of the LED fixture may result in savings sufficient to compensate for the original investment expenditures of LED lighting many times over.

Another advantage of LED lighting is that it requires almost little maintenance. LED highway and street lighting fixtures are sealed systems that need little maintenance beyond cleaning the lens and correcting accidental or storm damage. This may result in considerable labor and material cost savings when compared to conventional fixtures, and can often justify the cost difference associated with changing to LED technology.

The last significant advantage that is sometimes overlooked is the improvement in the quality of light generated by LED lighting. This is quantified by the Color Rendering Index (CRI), which evaluates a light source’s accuracy in reproducing colors, with natural sunshine having a CRI of 100. LED lighting’s greater CRI contributes to increased visibility and response time, which are critical for motorists and other road and street users. This may contribute to the reduction of accidents caused by poor visibility, as well as driver weariness and eye strain caused by low-quality illumination.