Why are there purple street lights around Bay County?

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - New LED streetlights were recently installed across the state of Florida. Many of those lights, even here in Bay County, don’t look like they should.

“It’s a manufacturer defect, and it’s causing the lights to have an appearance of a purple or blue hue,” Ian Satter, Spokesperson for the Florida Department of Transportation, said.

FDOT says the filter is broken on these lights, causing the color change. The manufacturer is aware of the problem but has been slowed down trying to make repairs.

“There are supply chain issues along with that,” Satter said. “So, as they get materials and the parts to make repairs, they’ll be able to do that in Bay County and the surrounding area.”

Purple street lights may seem strange, but they’re not harmful in any way.

“It’s not a black light, it just changed the hue of the color, the filter is defective,” Satter said.

FDOT says these LED lights are actually more beneficial for the community.

“The new LED lights are much brighter so it provides more visibility for the drivers so it makes things safer,” Satter said. “They’re more efficient, it uses less power, so we’re not using as much taxpayer dollars to pay the utility bills.”

FDOT says as soon as replacement parts become available, crews will be out fixing the lights.

If you see a purple haze on your next late-night drive, don’t worry. The lights are safe, they are just purple.

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