# Exploring the Feasibility of Autonomous Lighting Systems for Pedestrian Crossings in Off-Grid Areas
## 1 Introduction
### Relevance of the Subject Matter  
According to the annual road accident reports [8], in 2022 in Poland, about 18% of all road accident victims were pedestrians. There were 2693 accidents at pedestrian crossings (12.6% of overall), and 161 people were killed and 2709 were injured. In previous years, the highest number of pedestrian accidents and the most tragic consequences of such accidents were recorded in the autumn and winter months (from October to December). This is due to climatic conditions, in particular poor visibility in the early hours of dusk. Most often, road users were killed in traffic accidents outside of urban areas. In one of five such incidents, a person was killed, while in a city area, a person was killed in one of twenty. Therefore, proper lighting conditions at pedestrian crossings located outside urban areas is one of the elements that can improve pedestrian safety. The main aim of this research is to analyze proper lighting conditions at and around pedestrian crossings [4]. The important parameter for the driver's ability to recognize the pedestrian is the proper value of the luminance contrast of the pedestrian silhouette opposite the background [9; 10], which indirectly defines the illuminance values that should be achieved at a pedestrian crossing. In 2018, the Ministry of Infrastructure [11] took steps to standardize the lighting solutions used at pedestrian crossings in Poland. The technical solutions used in the illuminated area are possible to implement when an installation is supplied to power the grid and fulfil required lighting levels in the proposed lighting scenarios. There is a certain group of pedestrian crossings where it is not economically or technically possible to supply electric energy via the power grid [12]. These crossings are equipped with island power solutions [13; 14; 15]. Ref. [16] presents an autonomous street lighting system containing photovoltaic panels, batteries, and luminaires with energy-efficient LED light sources. The system is designed for locations such as roads and crossroads where supplying the lighting system from the power grid is not technically or economically possible. One of the tasks of this project was to develop a dedicated LED luminaire which takes into account the response of the human eye under scotopic conditions. The luminaire was designed as a replacement for an existing luminaire containing a 70 W HPS high-pressure sodium lamp. The developed lighting system is characterized by high energy conversion efficiency, where each component of the electrical system is powered by direct current (DC). Furthermore, Ref. [17] discusses similar issues of illuminating a roadway with an LED lighting system, such as module design, efficiency, and economic feasibility of the system. Ref. [17] describes an intelligent light intensity control system for street lighting based on the power electronic Triac element. Triac allows one to regulate the intensity of a streetlight by adjusting the switching angle (ignition) of the RMS supply voltage value. Figure 1: View of a pedestrian crossing with an autonomous lighting system. In addition, the system is switched on and off according to sunrise and sunset times obtained from the Internet. The usage of Internet of Things (IoT) systems and a lighting intensity control system creates a fully autonomous system that reduces the electricity consumption for street lighting. Issues of improving the efficiency of classical light sources are also being developed. In article [18], a comparison of a metal halide discharge (HID) lamp emitting white light using an electromagnetic ballast operating at a 50 Hz main frequency and an electronic ballast operating at 100 kHz was presented. This solution makes it possible to increase the emitted luminous energy and reduce light pulsation. These parameters have a particular impact on increasing the overall energy efficiency of a lighting system containing an HID lamp.