Why do street lights turn off when I drive by them. Is this an omen or do I have some mystical powers?

Question

Why do street lights turn off when I drive by them. Is this an omen or do I have some mystical powers?

Answer 1

oooooo, sounds awsome, you should look into that. but don't ask me cuz im stupid... apparently.... but, anyways, that's so coolio!!! (don't ask)

Answer 2

The headlights on your car can cause enough difference in ambient light to turn off the street lights. Most street lights are actuated by a light sensor mounted on top of the head (look for the little round thing above the light). These measure how much light there is, and turn the lights on automatically as it gets dark. They can be adjusted, but where you are driving, they are a little on the sensitive side.

Sorry, you don't have special powers...

Answer 3

More than likely it means the electrical company in your town has been too busy to repair them or hasn't bothered to repair them. That or they are solar powered and you are commuting when they happen to shut themselves off.

Answer 4

I bet they really don't......

Answer 5

If the street lights are on a signalized intersection, it's possible that the lights' sensors (that turn them on and off depending on surrounding light conditions) are mounted on the signal controller cabinet itself, as opposed to the top of the luminaire (the lamp). Since the sensors are near ground level it's quite possible that the settings are such that your headlights can trigger the sensors and turn off the lights.

If the sensors are mounted on top (see boogie_4wheel's post) it's unlikely that your headlights can interfere with them.

Or maybe that's an omen or indeed you have mystical powers.

Answer 6

LOL

they probably just have motion sensors,

Answer 7

More like your car has some duff suppressor caps and chucks out enough radio frequency rubbish to affect the street light electronics.

Answer 8

After you get to a point under them,  you can no longer see them.   The roof of your car is blocking your line of sight.