There are significant resources available for application and considerations relating to street and roadway lighting. These resources are constantly changing as research and practice evolve in the field of outdoor lighting. Much is left to learn about optimizing visibility for the roadway user while balancing the impacts and best cost/benefit of available safety improvements.

This handbook, with the research and documents referenced within it, provides a solid base for policy makers, owners, designers, and installers in the decision making process. Much is changing in this field. Research is ongoing in the areas of mesopic vision, adaptive lighting, spectral impacts to visibility/contrast, and better predictive models. New lighting sources continue to develop and emerge which are changing the way roadway lighting design is approached and designed. The user of this handbook is encouraged to remain current on the resources provided by FHWA, AASHTO, IES, CIE, and other technical organizations.