Using knowledge gained from the laboratory experiment, LHRC researchers created a mathematical model for predicting perceptions of safety that could be employed at the lighting design stage. (The resulting parking lot lighting safety tool, a downloadable Microsoft Excel workbook, is available here.) The model was then tested using human responses in five real-world parking lots with broadly varying lighting characteristics in the New York Capital Region. 

Twenty participants visited all five parking lots in random order at after twilight in clear weather and were asked to indicate their level of agreement with two statements: (1) “The lighting is bright” and (2) “If I were alone at night, I would feel safe in this parking lot.” The answers were scored on this scale: (a) disagree strongly (-2 points), (b) disagree somewhat (-1 point), (c) neither agree nor disagree (zero points), (d) agree somewhat (1 point), and (e) agree strongly (2 points).