TOKYO — Blue streetlights are believed to be useful in preventing suicides and street crime, a finding that is encouraging railway companies to install blue lighting at stations to prevent people from committing suicide by jumping in front of trains.
Although experts are split over the effectiveness of the blue lights, railway companies that already have installed the lighting say they have succeed- ed in preventing suicides.
Glasgow, Scotland, introduced blue streetlighting to improve the city's landscape in 2000. Afterward, the number of crimes in areas illuminated in blue noticeably decreased.
The Nara, Japan, police set up blue streetlights in the prefecture in 2005 and found the number of crimes decreased by about 9 percent. Many other areas nationwide have followed suit.
Keihin Electric Express Railway Co. changed the color of eight lights on the ends of platforms at Gumyoji Station in Yokohama, Japan, in February.
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A company employee in charge of train safety operations said, "We introduced the blue lights as part of our efforts to try do all we can to prevent suicide."
Since the blue lighting was introduced, no suicide attempts have occurred at the station.
Central Japan Railway Co. has set up blue lights at 10 railway crossings since August to find out whether they work in preventing suicide. East Japan Railway Co. and Kyushu Railway Co. also are discussing the introduction of blue lighting.
West Japan Railway Co. was the first railway company to introduce blue lighting at its facilities. The company was concerned by cars attempting to traverse railway crossings despite approaching trains.
Since December 2006, JR West has set up blue lighting at 38 crossings, and no accidents involving a car ramming into a train at those crossings have occurred since, and no one has committed suicide at the sites.
According to the Construction and Transport Ministry, 640 suicides and suicide attempts involving jumping in front of trains occurred in fiscal 2007, about a 20 percent increase from the previous year.
Professor Tsuneo Suzuki at Keio University said: "There are a number of pieces of data to prove blue has a calming effect upon people. However, it's an unusual color for lighting, so people may just feel like avoiding standing out by committing crimes or suicide under such unusual illumination. It's a little risky to believe that the color of lighting can prevent anything."
