He saw a car in the distance, but thought the driver, David Stratton, had surely seen him. The next thing he knew he was 20 feet down the road. Fortunately, he received no major injuries.

“I was on the crosswalk but the lighting was dim and the driver didn’t see me,” Wagers said. “It wouldn’t have happened if it was at noon, or if the street lights were brighter.”

The driver, David Stratton, a citizen of Rexburg, blames the poor lighting as well.

“It’s too dark at that intersection. I think the lights played a big part in the accident,” Stratton said.

The city of Rexburg gets their light bulbs from Utah Power and Light. UPL powers the lights around the city. It costs the city about seven dollars a month per light, but not all lights are created equal.

The traditional lights use mercury vapor to give off a whitish-silver color much like fluorescent lights. Unfortunately, these lights are not very efficient.

The city switched to high-pressure sodium vapor bulbs, which are more energy efficient but give off a dim gold color.

Dim lights are better than no lights, but the dim lights still worry BYU-Idaho students who drive.

“The dim lights make me nervous when I drive because no matter how safely I drive I could still hit someone without seeing them,” said Michelle Sutton, a junior from Visalia, Calif.

According to the city, most of the bulbs they use are 70 watts but they are making a transition to newer 250-watt bulbs. This will make the current streetlights brighter.

The city has also ordered new lights near Taco Time and at the roundabout on 2nd West.

“We try to light the areas with the highest pedestrian-driver conflict,” said Jim Malar, public works director for the city.

But are the lights the only problem?

Captain Randy Lewis of the Rexburg Police Department doesn’t think so.

“The lights definitely play a major role in the safety of pedestrians and drivers, but pedestrians should use good judgment,” Lewis said.

Some suggestions for pedestrians include wearing bright clothing, using the crosswalks, and walking in places that are well-lit.