Daytime Running Lights - They Suck

timthetoolman on 27/05/2025 - 11:07

TL:DR - day running lights are dangerous when people don't know their rear lights aren't on.

I wanted to discuss my ongoing pet peeve with DRL.

Night in and night out, when it starts to get dark, and also when it's pitch black, I see a plethora of people who have their DRL on, but no lights from behind.

Firstly, I don't know if this problem is specific to someone who's got DRL, but don't have automatic lights. Or if it's a setting within the car.

10 years ago, you had your dash lights, then your front and rear lights.
I can understand that if you've got your DRL on, you'll have your dash illuminated, and you'll see light in front of you, so its fair to assume your lights are on.

But I'm so sick of seeing (or not seeing, see what I did there?) cars driving around with no lights on, and the driver absolutely oblivious.

I think it's a flawed and dangerous system and drivers should be made more aware of this when they buy their car.

Discuss

Automotive

Comments

  • 87percent on 27/05/2025 - 11:08
    +80

    ok

      • oscargamer on 27/05/2025 - 11:36
        +51

        No more or less meaningful than your thread/rant

      • Dreamcast on 27/05/2025 - 20:45
        -1

        Username checks out for the person who up voted you

  • 30year old Camry on 27/05/2025 - 11:10
    +13

    My car doesn't have DRL or automatic lights

  • Hybroid on 27/05/2025 - 11:14
    +20

    Don't all modern cars have an Auto mode nowadays where they'll automatically switch on headlights when it goes dark? Why don't people use this?

    Do they not also have the green headlight icon in dashboard to indicate if low beam lights are on?

    If so, it's definitely user error rather than the fault of daytime running lights.

    • timthetoolman on 27/05/2025 - 11:19
      -1

      Not all cars that have DRL have auto headlights.
      So they either aren't using auto headlights, or just aren't putting their lights on?

      • Protractor on 27/05/2025 - 11:47
        +2

        Putting lights on during the day is not a law in all states. It also doesn't cancel out shit drivers and phone users.Just concentrate on perfecting your own contribution. Crusaders and vigilantes generally exacerbate existing minor or non existent problems

        • beach bum on 28/05/2025 - 08:36

          This one hundred million % .
          The do gooders don’t know how much damage they do do..

        • Ramrunner on 28/05/2025 - 12:30
          +2

          I think what OP is saying is that BECAUSE people run DRL, their dash lights up as it would if they had headlights on at night. So they don't know. I don't think they are saying anything about running them during the day. Irrelevant?

          Problem is at night when they effectively have no rear ligts on in this mode.

          I am actually seeing a number of increasing cars without rear lights on in the dark because drivers are in DRL mode not full headlights. They don't realise especially along freeway where it's lit but it does make them harder to see and judge distance.

          Not something I'd make a post about but I actually kinda see their point.

          • Protractor on 28/05/2025 - 12:36
            -2

            @Ramrunner: OK, then. If every car except said stupid DRL bandit is doing the right thing (head and tail lights on), don't you think those front pointing headlights would alert the car behind there a big chunk of metal in front, long before they plough into them?
            And AFAIK ADR says all cars have rear facing reflectors in the stop tail combo.

            • Ramrunner on 28/05/2025 - 12:54

              @Protractor: Sure - you are correct.

              Not sure about the reflector thing - I have sat behind these people without rear lights on and nothing reflected back at me (yes have auto lights on).

              But even YOU must admit there's like a 300-400M distance difference between seeing a car with our withour rear lights.

              Which is safer? Without even mentioning it's a road rule to have them on.

              I agree with you if your lights are on you'd see them and have a chance to brake before hiting them but safety and rules say that doesn't matter.

              • Protractor on 28/05/2025 - 13:07

                @Ramrunner: To me it sounds like a highly populated or well lit scenario anyway. eg lost of ppl washed in light, situationally unaware. I can't recall the last time I saw anyway sans back lights, city or country. Improper bean of fog lights on? Yep, all the time.Ppl on phones? Standard fare. I guess (at night) if DRL are so bright, the driver can see the road and nobody can see him from behind,the concept of DRLs is a failure. It just passed the risk to after sunset.
                I'd love to see the actual numbers of how many drivers are smashing into the back of DRL fitted vehicles in the OPs post.

            • Charmoffensive on 29/05/2025 - 10:28
              +1

              @Protractor: Are you claiming rear lights aren't useful at all, or are you just arguing for the sake of it, because you made an incredibly judgemental comment and it turns out you just didn't read the post properly?

              • Protractor on 29/05/2025 - 10:32

                @Charmoffensive: Don't put words in my mouth. I'm pointing out that the issue here is exaggerated and overstated, but in a worst case scenario if other drivers are attentive, (driving to conditions, eg lights on after dark) they chances of running up the arse of someone with no lights id minute.Happy?

                There is no plague of this problem.If there is it must where there are massive densities of cars, which actually would reduce the risks stated here,anyway.Because in those areas artificial light is rife.

                TLDR: Rear lights rock. Headlights rock harder

                • Charmoffensive on 29/05/2025 - 14:51
                  +1

                  @Protractor:

                  don't you think those front pointing headlights would alert the car behind there a big chunk of metal in front, long before they plough into them?
                  And AFAIK ADR says all cars have rear facing reflectors in the stop tail combo.

                  You've given 2 examples of where you think the job of tail lights are achieved by something else; This sounds exactly like someone saying that tail lights are unnecessary.

                  Don't put words in my mouth. I'm pointing out that the issue here is exaggerated and overstated… There is no plague of this problem

                  Whether the issue is pervasive or not is a different argument to whether no rear tail lights are dangerous. In this comment, you're arguing the'yre not dangerous, not that it's not a widespread issue.

                  You can't change what your argument is when you're wrong, just so you can keep arguing. Well, I guess you can, but peoiple are just going to think you're an oppositional twerp, rather than someone with a differing point of view.

                  • Protractor on 29/05/2025 - 15:46

                    @Charmoffensive:

                    You've given 2 examples of where you think the job of tail lights are achieved by something else; This sounds exactly like someone saying that tail lights are unnecessary.

                    Your comprehension problem, not mine.

                    I've never said no rear tail lights aren't dangerous.You're good at transposing words into mine. And whose arguing for the sake of it??? So I guess that makes you worse than an op-positional twerp>>.A hypocrite.

                    Your Username appears broken BTW

                    • Charmoffensive on 30/05/2025 - 00:12
                      +1

                      @Protractor: Oh dear, you're resorting to the ol' "you can't tell me I'm being argumentative because that makes you a hypocrite!". It's the "I know you are, but what am I?" for people who can't admit they're wrong desperately groping for some moral high ground on the internet. Mate, maybe it's time you logged off.

    • IceCreamBandit on 27/05/2025 - 11:24
      +7

      headlights when it goes dark?

      In fog or heavy rain where there's enough light, automatic lights won't necessarily turn on.

      Lights (front and rear) in those scenarios are important to show other cars that you exist rather than just illuminating the road ahead, as grey/lighter colour cars can sometimes be hard to spot.

    • skid on 27/05/2025 - 11:40
      +25

      I think quite a lot of people do not know what the icons on the dashboard mean.

    • geekcohen on 27/05/2025 - 12:24
      +2

      Don't all modern cars have an Auto mode nowadays where they'll automatically switch on headlights when it goes dark?

      Yes, but people turn the automode off

      Why don't people use this?

      You would think so!

      Do they not also have the green headlight icon in dashboard to indicate if low beam lights are on?

      Yes, but dashboards are all LCD screens now, so turning the lights on or off is just via a symbol. Gone of the days where the entire dash would light up when the lights are on.

      If so, it's definitely user error rather than the fault of daytime running lights.

      100% it is user error.

    • ConsumerAffairs on 27/05/2025 - 17:46
      +7

      The problem these days seems to be two things, vehicles have become so good at automating things that its made people very lazy and oblivious to their cars own functions and secondly, some people just don't seem to care about what their vehicle does, they'll just operate it to the absolute minimum standard they need to just to get them from A to B and that's it.

    • Succulent on 27/05/2025 - 20:12
      +3

      Sometimes i switched the auto off when I was at in the parking lot (parked) when waiting for someone. This is so that it is not too bright for passing car looking for a parking spot, or if there are little kids on the pram passing in front my car. The problem is, sometimes i did forget to turn the auto back on.

    • Spookware on 04/06/2025 - 08:48

      Why don't people use this?

      stop telling people what to do.

  • Protractor on 27/05/2025 - 11:28
    +6

    You must have a very small platter in your world.

  • skid on 27/05/2025 - 11:38
    +1

    you'll have your dash illuminated

    This is the part I don't understand. Do cars not have this feature anymore? Are people ok with a dim dashboard? Don't they have a need to check their dash/speedo while driving?

    Had international drivers tell me that street lights are more than enough to see the road…

    • apsilon on 27/05/2025 - 11:57
      +15

      On modern cars the dash is always illuminated. I believe this is actually what causes most of the confusion as people see that and it doesn't register their headlights aren't on. Exactly how I'm not sure because no headlights or just DRLs are difficult to drive by at anything more than walking speed but frankly people just don't seem to be aware of their surroundings these days so it doesn't surprise me. They probably just think it's extra dark tonight.

      • Protractor on 27/05/2025 - 14:40
        +3

        people just don't seem to be aware of their surroundings these days

        This is the word and gospel ^

      • Nebargains on 27/05/2025 - 15:56
        +6

        100% guilty of this one time. Left a shopping center underground car park which was bright as, obviously it's bright and I am underground and I am not thinking about 'oh its night time outside this car park I should turn my headlights on'. Get outside and its night time but its peak hour and all the other cars have their headlights on and all the street lights are on and my dash is lit up, so it never occurs to me that my lights aren't on until I was about half way home and when stopped at lights the next car gestured to me that my lights weren't on.

        So easy to do, I think I have only done it that one time and I probably wouldn't have realised until a couple of streets away from my house when it would be noticably dark because my headlights aren't on and there is less streetlights.

        • SlickMick on 28/05/2025 - 08:22

          I was driving on a highway and was nearly rear-ended by a truck. Eventually realised that our headlights were incredibly dim, so maybe the rear lights weren't visible.
          Pulled over, and realised that the auto headlights had been turned off at our last service. I'd been driving by the DRLs since the service.

          edit: our new car has symbols on dash: green for low-beam, blue for hi-beam, fully automated supposedly.

          • Ramrunner on 28/05/2025 - 12:34
            +1

            @SlickMick: "auto headlights had been turned off at our last service"

            Yep - I've had this EVERY single time.

            I tend to see it when I leave the garage at night though so I remember to turn them back on but yes most car service technicians turn them off I'm guessing when they test them.

    • geekcohen on 27/05/2025 - 12:26
      +2

      This is the part I don't understand. Do cars not have this feature anymore?

      Nope, most new cars now are all LCD screens, so whether it is day or night, the dash is exactly the same brightness.

      • Euphemistic on 27/05/2025 - 13:24
        +4

        Except many of them dim when the headlights come on

        Modern cars seem to have a little green light for headlights.

        • geekcohen on 27/05/2025 - 13:46
          +1

          My wife's Tuscon doesn't dim at all when the headlights are on, and the LCD is so bright that it's kind of annoying.

          • mapax on 27/05/2025 - 13:54
            +2

            @geekcohen: If it’s the new Tucson I think there’s an auto brightness setting that can be toggled in the settings.

            • geekcohen on 27/05/2025 - 13:59

              @mapax: 2022, so it is the "new" model (I think they call it the NX-4 or something). I'll double check the settings.

              • mapax on 27/05/2025 - 14:23
                +1

                @geekcohen: I watched a video a few months ago that mentioned it. I think the new model mentioned was a 2024 or 2025 with the really wide looking infotainment screen, maybe they’re the same as 2022 though.

                • geekcohen on 27/05/2025 - 14:32

                  @mapax: Yeah, the 2022 is pretty much the same as the 2024/2025 models, it has the wide infotainment, I do love that when compared to my PX3 Ford Ranger.

                  • mapax on 27/05/2025 - 14:36
                    +1

                    @geekcohen: Haha, my “infotainment” is a single din stereo with Bluetooth.

                    • Nugs on 27/05/2025 - 17:16
                      +1

                      @mapax: Haha, my “infotainment” is a single din stereo
                      .

    • JIMB0 on 27/05/2025 - 17:31
      +1

      Had international drivers tell me that street lights are more than enough to see the road…

      Over in China I noticed a lot of people drive at night with the lights off to save fuel.

      • skillet on 28/05/2025 - 23:30

        I had a private driver who shutoff his CNG engine during those long mountains descends when I visited the Great Wall in 1994. Did pretty a good job with the brake modulation without brake booster. They pull all the tricks to survive poverty.

    • rumblytangara on 27/05/2025 - 20:57

      Had international drivers tell me that street lights are more than enough to see the road…

      'International'?

      You mean from third world countries…

      • Protractor on 27/05/2025 - 21:12
        -2

        Go on, say what you really mean

  • maltcoca on 27/05/2025 - 11:38
    +13

    People are just dumb these days, not realising they don't have their headlights on when it is dark. It's not the fault of the DRL.
    Similar to computer problems, where most often the user is the problem, not the computer…

    • Leeroy Jenkins on 22/06/2025 - 19:21
      +1

      That's an excuse for shitty user interface design. A well designed system will try to help users do the right thing.

      • Euphemistic on 22/06/2025 - 22:49
        +2

        I used to have a car that required two presses on the headlight button to get headlights. One press was parkers. It didnt always register the second press, the dash lights came on with parkers and if there was enough street lighting i didnt realise until it got a bit dark to drive.

  • plmko on 27/05/2025 - 11:40
    +3

    Who gives a shit.

    • Protractor on 27/05/2025 - 11:49
      +3

      OP.
      Enough for most of us, it seems.

  • stickingly on 27/05/2025 - 11:45
    +1

    One of our cars has automatic lights and the other doesn't. I most often drive the one with the auto lights, so when I use the other one I sometimes initially forget to turn on the lights.

    • GordonD on 27/05/2025 - 12:00

      On a couple of occasions I've been caught out because way back when I got the car I read the owners manual and did the stupidly complex sequence of steps to put the lights on auto, then when I got a new battery or something else the lights got reset to them off, and the first time I drove at night I expected the lights to come on, and they didn't.

      (My car has a stupidly complex way of turning on the auto lights because the lower end model doesn't have them, and the higher end model like mine does, but only has the same switchgear, so they came up with a weird complex way of doing it.)

  • 30year old Camry on 27/05/2025 - 11:50
    +4

    Some people just aren't very bright

    • Mechz on 27/05/2025 - 21:08

      JV alt account?

    • nobro25 on 29/05/2025 - 06:43

      It's a good dad joke… Give him a round of applause Ozbargainers. And a standing ovation.

  • CodeXD on 27/05/2025 - 11:51
    +4

    Just do the casual quick high beam flick and move on

    • Protractor on 27/05/2025 - 14:42
      -7

      I love ignoring those wannabe sheriffs

      • D3HUN on 27/05/2025 - 14:59
        +5

        Onya Mate! Maybe people just want to be helpful if you are half sleeping behind the wheels and forget to turn on the lights at night? But yeah, feel good to ignore them, just to exert dominance! :D

        • Protractor on 27/05/2025 - 15:18
          -5

          FGS, I know the difference of light levels. Some of us know how and when to make safe driving choices.I don't drive at night with lights off.The fact they are flicking their lights shows they are the ones exerting dominance. LOL.
          DRL not a substitute for the drivers of those other cars to drive safely. Hey, even Rangers have DRLs, and they are a 4 wheeled danger beacon.

          • Muppet Detector on 27/05/2025 - 18:01
            +1

            @Protractor: I thought people flicked their lights to alert other drivers to upcoming traffic stops.

            I know it is illegal to do this, but thought it was one of those kind motorist gestures.

            • Protractor on 27/05/2025 - 19:02
              -1

              @Muppet Detector: It's originally an act of kindness, but it fell out of favour when the scales tipped towards a critical mass of moronic AH on the road. Now it's optional.Either way whinging about something that is not a law, while most ppl pfaff around on phones or concentrating (via RVM) with kids in the back seat .
              I just try to to speed these days. Seems to work a treat.But when DHs flash me because they demand I put my lights on in broad daylight, they can GS.Clearly they saw me.

  • GordonD on 27/05/2025 - 11:55

    Would someone confirm what the OP claims happens actually does, because it sounds stupid. That there's lights on on the front of the car, but they're only the DRLs, and the dashboard lights are on because the DRLs are on, but no tail lights are illuminated.

    • IceCreamBandit on 27/05/2025 - 12:24
      +2

      Can confirm. Don't remember specific models, but I am sure I've seen DRLs on/tail lights off.

    • Shadowsfury on 27/05/2025 - 13:35
      +2

      Definitely the case - see it all the time.

      My own car does the same - although the dash does light up "differently" between headlights on vs off.

    • Euphemistic on 27/05/2025 - 16:37
      +1

      Dashboard lights up when car running. DRLs on when car running, but not taillights when its daytime. This is quite normal. DRLs do not need tail lights illuminated.

      My auto headlights sometimes switch on 'parking light mode' which effectively means the DRLs plus tail lights, at which time the display dims - its usually how i notice. There is also the lights symbol illuminated on the dash.

      Then when its dark enough, headlights come on.

    • Ramrunner on 28/05/2025 - 12:38
      +1

      Yes can confirm this happens almost every night I drive home there's at least one car without their rear lights on and only DRLs. It is in fact quite tragic.

      I'm in WA though and we can boast we have the worst drivers right?

  • JimB on 27/05/2025 - 11:56
    +11

    This has nothing to do with DRLs. All to do with the driver.

    Most cars with DRLs would have auto lights anyway.

  • MS Paint on 27/05/2025 - 12:00
    +4

    Daytime Running Lights - They Suck

    Lazy Drivers Who Don't Care - They Suck

    FTFY

  • Drakesy on 27/05/2025 - 12:01
    -3

    Generally DRL's have an auto on/off function. If the driver has clicked this to manual then it's on them.

    • MS Paint on 27/05/2025 - 12:11
      +3

      What?

      My understanding is that they are powered (hard wired) and full brightness all the time and dim when you turn your lights on. That's my experience anyway.

      • Drakesy on 27/05/2025 - 14:12

        Yep thats it. It's an auto on/off function, they're not on all the time. My ones are programmed to turn off during the night but it varies

        • MS Paint on 27/05/2025 - 14:35

          What car do you drive? In all my cars with DRL that has never been the case and there definitely hasn't been a switch to over ride their function.

          • Ramrunner on 28/05/2025 - 12:40

            @MS Paint: I have a switch to turn them off in my Alfa. 2016.

            Not sure about the other cars in the family haven't really looked.

            • MS Paint on 28/05/2025 - 12:55

              @Ramrunner: Classic Italians. Which model if you don't mind me asking? Please say Giulia. Damn sexy car.

              Is it a physical switch or deep diving into a screen based menu option?

              • Ramrunner on 28/05/2025 - 15:52

                @MS Paint: Giulietta. The poor cousin. It IS the QV though so buckets of fun.

                It's a push switch to the right of the media screen. Under that is the fog lights and the unlock for the doors.

                There's a physical green light on the dash that's on when they are (so pretty much always).

        • qtr pounder on 27/05/2025 - 20:12

          I dare say they arent actually DRLs then.

  • PinzVidz on 27/05/2025 - 12:19
    +8

    Dumbed down dumbarses behind the wheel, thanks to "always lit" instrument clusters. But it's pretty obvious, an instrument cluster is super bright at night with the headlight switch off as they're configured to be bright enough to be read during daylight conditions.

    This is what I like about newer generation Toyotas, off position deleted on headlight stalk. It's either auto, park lights or headlights. Shame other manufacturers can't follow suit.

    • THICKnSLOW on 28/05/2025 - 22:07

      Maybe it should be mandated that drivers must get out of their car and check their headlights and taillights are on prior to driving. Baby steps for modern problems.

  • Danstar on 27/05/2025 - 12:20
    +3

    You'd think with cars having so many safety features, there'd be something that alerts you if it's say, after 8pm and you don't have your lights on.

  • cell on 27/05/2025 - 12:39
    +6

    I agree, it is baffling seeing people drive with only DRLs no headlight or taillights at night.

    People should just keep their headlights on AUTO…………… problem solved

    • sandman20104159 on 27/05/2025 - 12:53
      +2

      thee drivers probs dont even know how to turn auto lights on, i find most drivers dont even know their own features in the car, all they know is steering, left and right indicators drive or park and thats it.

      • freefall101 on 27/05/2025 - 14:00
        +2

        Most BMW drivers don't seem to understand how indicators work either.

        • Protractor on 27/05/2025 - 14:45
          -1

          This is a fluid situation

          • eciuj on 27/05/2025 - 16:49
            +1

            @Protractor: no, I think it's a pretty clear indication

            • Muppet Detector on 27/05/2025 - 18:08

              @eciuj: In the old days, most cars didn't have indicators. You were supposed to poke your arm outside the vehicle and wave it around a bit to give some kind of indication of what you wanted to do.

              Of course, we still use some of these external hand gestures today. I think the most common was is arm raised outside window with hand forming a fist but you make your very special finger stick up in the air.

  • brendanm on 27/05/2025 - 12:47
    +6

    This is simply drivers that are too dense to notice that their lights aren't on.

    • Muppet Detector on 27/05/2025 - 18:10

      For an even greater, more challenging thrill ride, some of them drive with their eyes closed.

  • sandman20104159 on 27/05/2025 - 12:52
    +4

    issue is these drivers arent paying attention, so they are very dangerous drivers already, but the DRL is on when lights are off, meaning headlights arent switched on but because the dash is all LED now days and light up day or night, drivers arent aware the headlight isnt on. i drove behind someone for a 5kms and kept flashing high beams at them and they still couldnt get the hint…

    • skid on 27/05/2025 - 13:54
      +1

      They do not understand what a high beam flash means. They probably thought you were trying to overtake.

  • [Deactivated] on 27/05/2025 - 13:30
    +1

    I wanted to discuss

    Here? lol :)

  • Shadowsfury on 27/05/2025 - 13:36
    +3

    Now if we could also fix people clearly having their high beams on that would be great…

  • Randolph Duke on 27/05/2025 - 13:49

    I can't imagine there's too many people with DRL capable cars that aren't on auto mode, or the driver is overriding.

    • geekcohen on 27/05/2025 - 13:59

      the driver is overriding

      It'll be this 99% of the time. The driver turning it off auto mode and then forgetting to turn it on.

  • neo on 27/05/2025 - 14:02

    Agree

  • Wiadro on 27/05/2025 - 14:32

    thanks karen

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