Cars where the headlights are on but no tail lights

[Mr_B]

What's this all about ? I was behind a car the other night around 1am with no tail lights. As the person had just turned out of a car park, I assumed she had just forgot to put them on as we were in a street in London with lighting. Flashed my headlights a couple of times and nothing. When stopped at the lights I tell her and also see her headlights are on dipped, she flicks a switch and headlights come on full and tail lights come on. Seen this on several new cars, so what's the point ?

[civicduty]

DRL's too bright, dashboard always lit up regardless of Headlight switch position.

[kambites]

Are you sure the "headlights" weren't DRLs? The typically only illuminate the front.

[Capt Bravz]

^ This.

[KTF]

They were DRLS. A lot of them light up the dash instruments as well so you end up with people driving around with no head or tail lights on in the dafk because the dashboard is lit up so they forget to turn the lights on.

See also: Cars with optitron style instruments - Toyotas, some Hondas, etc.

[willld]

Unless it an Elise with the shoddy wiring to the rear lights located next to trim on the gear-lever where it rubs through - voila headlights but no tail lights

[Mr_B]

Couldn't really see the front lights fully , only until I got alongside could I see some light from the headlights on the road ahead, so assumed they were ordinary dipped lights on. Anyway, just something I noticed as new on a lot of very new cars and city driving.
Are DRLs mandatory now then ?

[fangio]

Mr_B said:

Are DRLs mandatory now then ?

Nope! They do not have to be on....

[TheInsanity1234]

fangio said:

Mr_B said:

Are DRLs mandatory now then ?

Nope! They do not have to be on....

They don't have to be switched on, but they do have to be fitted to any car sold after 2011 IIRC, due to EU legislation. But there's nothing that says you can't switch them off if you dislike them.

Our '61 Yeti has DRLs fitted, but if you delve into the car settings, there's an option to switch them off.

[David87]

Fitment is mandatory on all cars type approved from February 2011, meaning nowadays pretty much every new car on sale has them. Almost all just illuminate at the front, but there are the odd models that have the rear lamps come on with the DRLs (BMWs approx. 2007-2012 and most Volvos).

Whilst the EU says they must be fitted, UK law doesn't necessitate them being turned on. That said, the button to disable them without a trip to the dealer has gone missing on a lot of cars.

As has been mentioned already, however, the fact a lot of new cars also illuminate their dials the whole time leads to people forgetting to put their headlamps on. While that creates some problems today, it has to be remembered that many of the cars come with automatic headlamps, a feature that I believe will also be mandatory from next year.