FORGET seeing the light -- late night motorists are being treated to subtle beams on an East Lancashire motorway.

Lancashire County Council has become the first Highways Authority in the country to install equipment which reduces the brightness of road lights as the amount of traffic decreases.

The reduction will save power but is also aimed at reducing driver fatigue after research revealed that travelling under a line of bright lights when there are no other distractions can cause tiredness.

The stretch of the M65 the county council looks after -- running from the east of Accrington to Colne -- is at the centre of the green scheme.

It uses electronic counters which have already been fitted to the side of the motorway at various points to count traffic flow.

When the number of cars on the M65 drops below a certain volume the brightness of the overhead lights is reduced, although highways bosses say they will still be bright enough to help motorists.

The lights are made brighter again when more vehicles use the road, making it more important to see shorter distances clearly.

Graham Harding, director of environment at Lancashire County Council, said: "We believe this is the first such scheme in the country.

"It is primarily for environmental purposes.

"By reducing the light at quieter times we are eliminating the waste of power.

"It also means that we can reduce light pollution.

"By reducing the amount of energy we use, we can reduce carbon dioxide levels because we are using less energy."

But the scheme may also have a health benefit.

Mr Harding added: "Research is being carried out to see if reducing the brightness of the lights reduces fatigue.

"It is thought that fatigue is brought on by travelling under a continual line of bright lights when there are no other distractions."

Kevin Delaney, traffic road safety manager for the RAC Foundation, the motoring organisation's campaigning arm, said it was a good idea.

"All the evidence would seem to suggest that unlit motorways are not always as safe as ones with lighting," he said. "The problem is that in urban areas, like where the M65 is, the glare from the motorways can be intrusive to people who live nearby.

"But this scheme will provide the maximum road safety benefits when there are a lot of people on the road at night, while not constantly affecting people nearby.

"It will not be as safe if there are fewer people on the motorway, but, because there would be less cars, there will be less hazards anyway, so it will be less of a problem."

Details of the projects were unveiled as the county council reported on the success of its local transport plan, which aims to increase the use of public transport, make roads safer and cut congestion.