Streets and highways in nearly every residential area and city are safer to drive, bike or walk on due to outdoor post lights. Homes and businesses are not overshadowed by darkness simply by the installation of an outdoor post light for security. Although the pole light is also used for landscape lighting purposes, most people think of safety lighting when they think of outdoor post lights.

The outdoor post light is often installed by the local utility company in many neighborhoods. These companies will typically install them for homeowners for a nominal monthly fee. Homeowners can also purchase dusk to dawn security lights at their local home improvement store and install them on an outdoor pole without the need to contact the utility company.

Outdoor pole lights for security purposes don’t have to be bland utility lights, there are many decorative options. Homeowners can choose to have ornately designed poles installed for the lighting to keep their yard from looking generic and cold. 

Placement of the outdoor security light is important to insure that visibility in the darkness is in the necessary areas without being a blinding light to the neighbors or the people in the house. If dusk-to-dawn light is wanted near the house for security reasons, a better option would be a motion detector light. This keeps the light from being a nuisance to people in the house but alerts them if someone is near the house.

The best placement for utility size outdoor pole lights is in remote corners of the yard that are typically extremely dark. This could be more than one location, such as the front and back yard corners or any area where more light is desired at night-time.

The importance of having outdoor security lighting is continually stressed by law enforcement. It has been proven time and again that would-be intruders do not like homes that are well lit. They prefer to remain hidden in the shadows. This is why utility companies typically install roadside outdoor lights in cul-de-sacs and neighborhoods.

Outdoor pole lights for security are not designed to be ornamental, although they can. They serve a very important function in providing homeowners with a sense of safety and security. All homes should have an outdoor security light regardless of any other landscape lights they plan to install.

-Sharon V. Chapman