Shedding light on Saipan’s poorly lit roads

03/21/25 - One fateful Sunday last December saw two auto-pedestrian accidents that were caused by the apparent lack of streetlights on Saipan’s main thoroughfares.

The first one at 2:51am near Quartermaster Road on Dec. 15 resulted in a 46-year-old pedestrian being hospitalized with serious injuries after being struck by a vehicle driven by a 17-year-old female in a Chevy Camaro.

Hours later, at 11:20pm, an auto-pedestrian accident along Tun Thomas P. Sablan Road in San Antonio by the Pak Pak Beach area resulted in the death of a pedestrian after being struck by a vehicle whose driver fled the scene. 

The two accidents hours apart had a familiar theme—poorly lit roads being a contributing factor.

Department of Public Safety assistant chief of police and acting public information officer Simon T. Manacop confirmed the lack of streetlights was a mitigating factor in both accidents, aside from other reasons like the Camaro driver being drunk and the pedestrian in San Antonio also under the influence.

While admitting local law enforcement doesn’t actually keep tabs on accidents caused by poorly lit streets, on the top of his head he recalls some were actually caused by poor street illumination.

“We had five where it is dim or dark, but there is certain dim lighting that's within that location or where the crash occurred. And then we had four where there's definitely no light, low light, no additional lighting or dim lighting that was available...As we know, the recent fatality, the pedestrian that was struck, that area was actually very, very dim, very dark,” he said alluding to the fatal accident in San Antonio. 

As for the one along Quartermaster Road, Manacop said the pedestrian was actually a cyclist that was struck by the Camarro in another notoriously poorly lit portion of Beach Road.

Department of Public Works Secretary Ray Yumul admitted that the sad state of Saipan’s streets when it comes to illumination has been a question that has boggled his mind since taking over the DPW job.

“I myself wanted to know what is the current state for streetlights because we do know that streetlights help with the ability for not just the driving community but also those walking pedestrians. They want to be walking in areas that are well-lit to stay safe and to be seen so that no calamity befalls them. We've had rashes of burglaries and the like in villages and we have received over the course of the last few years concerns about non-functioning streetlights.”

And it’s not only the safety issue that Yumul is concerned about—as proven by the two aforementioned incidents—but also budget-wise as he bared that DPW actually pays over $1 million a year to the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. to keep the streetlights lit—or in some cases dimly lit.

In a chart DPW prepared, Yumul pointed out that Saipan, as of January 2024, has a total of 4,242 streetlights, a bulk of which are LED streetlights (2,927) with the rest (1,096) being of the non-LED streetlights variety. Of the total, he said, unfortunately, 218 are considered damaged.

As for the percentage of Saipan that is actually illuminated after the sun goes down, Yumul said it would be around 90%, but since not all of the streetlights are LED streetlights, you can debate the level of illumination in some places.

“The original streetlights that were installed over the years were non-LED. LED streetlights are more efficient, low energy consuming streetlights. These are the streetlights that we prefer because CUC does have a lower monthly charge for LED streetlights because the consumption is much lower. The intensity is about the same or a little better. So, we're going to be concentrating on having the non-LED streetlights swapped out.”

He said DPW will also be working with CUC to fix the 218 damaged streetlights at the soonest possible time.

Like everything in life, Yumul said money is the deciding factor in mitigating the island’s poorly dimmed thoroughfares.

“Once we've identified the areas that need lighting, I will be working with, of course, my staff to identify available grants that may be able to assist us in restoring lights or installing new lighting. And then at the same time, also work with the Legislature for funding so that if we're not able to secure federal grants, we'll be able to get local state funds to get these lights installed. Now whether the lights are installed using traditional streetlights and paying CUC or installing solar-powered street lights, that's where we're going to develop a plan to see which is the best option.”

Manacop, meanwhile, pleaded for more lighting, especially along streets that have become synonymous to being accident magnets at night.

“We've got to do another assessment as to the lighting in certain roads, highways, and we do need to replace if we do or add sufficient lighting to this area, especially where accidents were identified or have happened.”

He also has these tips for pedestrians and motorists braving not only Saipan’s poorly lit streets at night but also during the light of day.

“Just to clarify, pedestrians who do not cross in a non-designated pedestrian crosswalk and are struck by a vehicle will be at fault. They will be considered at fault for the accident. Please always use a designated pedestrian crosswalk. To motorists, please, they must pay attention to the traffic signs prior to coming to a pedestrian crosswalk. When they acknowledge that they're approaching a pedestrian crosswalk, they must reduce speed, make sure that no one is attempting to cross. Hazard lights is recommended, but by statute it doesn't state that you must, but it is recommended,” he said.

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Story by Mark Rabago