The slow implementation of the obligation to illuminate unregulated pedestrian crossings remains a public safety issue, as well as one of administrative and investment capacity for local and county authorities. Nearly three years after the adoption of Law 278/2022, many pedestrian crossings on local roads are still not properly illuminated, and autonomous, solar-powered solutions can shorten the implementation timeline by eliminating the need for grid connection works.
“We estimate that more than half of nighttime pedestrian accidents occur at poorly lit crossings,” says Adelin Vaicăr, founder and CEO of Solar Art-Overall Company from Sibiu. “We believe that this rate can be reduced and lives can be saved simply by implementing a very straightforward solution: proper lighting and signaling.”
Law no. 278/2022 requires road administrators to ensure the illumination of unregulated pedestrian crossings, especially on national, European, and county roads within localities. Non-fulfillment of this obligation is subject to penalties; however, enforcement remains uneven, dependent on budgets, local priorities, and administrative capacity. Solar Art-Overall Company estimates that, on average, each county has about 250 pedestrian crossings on roads administered locally or by the county, and a significant portion are still not illuminated in accordance with legal requirements.
For administrations, the practical implication is significant: solar solutions can avoid delays associated with connections, excavations, and electrical infrastructure works. The system proposed by the company operates autonomously, integrating asymmetric light distribution to outline the crossing area, and is designed to operate throughout the night, including in winter, when solar charging is lower.
“A major advantage is the ease of installation. We no longer need connections, excavations, and all those works that incur time and additional costs,” explains Adelin Vaicăr. For authorities, this can mean faster projects, more predictable implementation costs, and the ability to cover critical points without extending the electrical network.
The company claims that the solution exceeds the minimum lighting requirement by adding active road signaling elements, including visual warnings, solar-powered video surveillance, and, in certain configurations, sensors that detect pedestrian presence and automatically increase light intensity. “We do not limit ourselves to illuminating the area; we add an additional level of safety that influences traffic behavior and reduces the risk of accidents,” says Vaicăr.
The relevance for the energy market goes beyond road safety; it also pertains to how decentralized solutions can address specific public infrastructure issues. For solar technology developers and providers, such applications indicate a different direction in the use of renewable energy: not just production in photovoltaic parks but also local, autonomous infrastructure with a direct impact on public services.
Solar Art-Overall Company designs, supplies, installs, and maintains integrated lighting systems, including LEDs, street lighting, road signaling, and solar-powered technologies. The company carries out over 100 street lighting projects annually, whether industrial or commercial, and reported a turnover of 700,000 euros for 2025. Among the recent projects mentioned are the lighting of 10 pedestrian crossings in Dej, a lighting and signaling system at the main entrance of the Astra Museum in Sibiu, and a project carried out with Strabag on a rehabilitated national road.
An important warning concerns the quality of the solutions used. Vaicăr cautions that pedestrian crossings cannot be treated as decorative solar lighting applications with low-power equipment, as inconsistent operation during winter months can reduce visibility precisely in areas where the risk is high. For administrations and designers, the essential criterion is not just the existence of a solar source, but the correct sizing for road infrastructure, variable weather conditions, and continuous operation.
The next step depends on the ability of road administrators to transform the legal obligation into predictable investment programs. Solar solutions do not eliminate the need for procedures, budgets, and public accountability, but they can reduce technical barriers and execution time. For local authorities, this can mean the difference between a legal requirement remaining partially unenforced and a swift intervention in high-risk points.