over in the states something funny happend, they had a city wide black out for one reason or another, they had lost "All" security lighting, police reported close on 100% drop in crime within the few nights the power was out.? Security lighting ay!
I look at it this way, you go into some of the older suburbs, street lights are few and far between, kriky, at my old mans house back in Darwin, i can stand at the front of my house, there is 1 street light right there. but, the next one is about 100 meters away, in either direction. New estates have them every 30 -40 meters, (ill look up the RTA standards but i know main road lighting (those big sodium buggers) are at 60-80m intervals).
Further to the notion that you must have street lighting to drive safely thats not true, we only have street lighting for inner city areas, and this is more to do with security lighting to make the popluation feel safe. You go to a country town, and you can almost count on 1 hand the street lights.! and not to mention highways... lights are only at intersections.
I look at it from this point of view, if everything is pitch black and your sitting there enjoying the evening and you see a torch zooming around "marthers" house over the road, and you know she isn't home.... youll investigate because you can see it clearly, but turn on the 10'000 street lights, that same flash light wont be seen... thats not security in my eyes.! And if you don't have street lights and you are not confident in driving then you should stop the car and A. let somebody else drive, B. Slow down or C. Not drive at all because you are not good enough to!
thats my rant
Bunch of prats. 
