headlights, but no taillights?

[agentsteel53]

I've noticed (especially when driving in the rain, when this thing becomes critical) that sometimes people drive with no taillights... but when I pass them, I see their headlights are on.

is this some kind of bizarre setting that new cars come with?

[froggie]

Several cars have automatic daytime headlights, dating at least back to 2006 (my '06 Corolla has 'em) and likely before that.

[Brian556]

My 04 Camry has daytime running lights. They are in the high beam section, but are dimmer than low-beam. The parking lights do not run with them, unless you turn them on manually.

[corco]

I have no idea why the illuminated dashboards that all cars seem to have now are legal in combination with DRLs. In the past you knew you were past time to turn your lights on because you couldn't see your gauges once it was dark out without your lights on, but that's not the case with new cars, so if you have DRLs there's no easy idiot-proofer to remind you to turn your real lights on.

GM cars back to the early 90s had DRLs.

[1995hoo]

Some cars' DRLs will turn on the tail lights (my mom used to have a Volvo 850 that did that), but many don't. When you see a car being operated in the fashion you describe, look more closely at the headlights. If they seem dimmer than most headlights do, they're likely DRLs. If the light is coming from the bulbs located closer to the center grille (where the high-beam bulb is on cars that use separate bulbs for high-beams) but is clearly not the high-beams, that's also likely to be the DRLs because some automakers use the high-beam bulbs (at a reduced illumination) for the DRLs.

DRLs are NOT the same as headlights and I find it annoying when I encounter people driving with just the DRLs at night, especially if their tail lights don't come on and even more so if the vehicle is a dark color. At least this part of I-295 is well lit. Further south this guy could have been hard to see from a distance:

[Takumi]

I passed a Ford C-Max last night on I-95, in the rain, in this very situation. It was going well below the speed limit, maybe 50 MPH max. This is why my cars are all old.

[agentsteel53]

I had always thought that DRLs meant head and tail.

I have never owned a vehicle with DRLs.  I have rented plenty but I am hoping I always turned my actual taillights on at night! 

[Duke87]

If it is pouring rain and/or nighttime, I will be sure to have my full headlights on, which also illuminate the taillights.

I will frequently use the lower setting (which dims the headlights and doesn't turn on the taillights) if it's raining lightly, if it's dawn or dusk, or when driving on a two-lane road with passing zones.
Why? Because in these cases I'm not difficult to see from behind without my taillights and I figure the greater contrast afforded when I hit my brakes (taillights off to on, versus dim to bright) is more valuable.
Well, that, and I have this crazy idea that I'm helping my fuel economy by not turning on more lights than necessary (even though the difference is likely negligible).

At any rate, my point is, don't assume it's all idiots who don't know how to work their headlights. If I'm doing it, I have made a conscious decision to do so.


It is also true, though, that some vehicles now have dim front lights which are lit whenever the car is on and cannot be turned off. All cars registered in Ontario are required to have them, in fact.

[hbelkins]

My Saturn Vue has DRLs. It also has a dash sensor that will automatically turn on the headlights (and taillights) when a certain darkness level is detected. It's generally good enough that I rarely, if ever, turn on the lights manually.

[1995hoo]

BTW, regarding the illuminated dashboards, my Acura has one and if I don't turn on my headlights at night, the dashboard lights are way too bright. (There's also a green idiot light to tell you whether your lights are on or off.) I don't have DRLs, though.

I do have to override the automatic dashboard-dimming when I have my lights on during the day, of course, such as in bad weather or when I drive on a two-lane road. I've always turned on my headlights on two-lane roads for the same reason DRLs exist–I find it makes it much easier to see an approaching vehicle when you're thinking about pulling out to pass someone and so I want to make my car visible to people coming the other way.

I've noticed more and more cars being driven at night with no lights at all (DRLs, headlights, parking lights, doesn't matter). I can only assume that some of these people think that since they can see, they don't need to use their lights–which I assume is also the reason why too many people fail to use their headlights when it's raining or snowing.

[Takumi]

My 1993 (!) has an illuminated dashboard, and when I have the lights on in the daytime I'll occasionally forget to turn the lights off, but I've never forgotten to turn them on.

[briantroutman]

As others have observed, DRLs typically activate only low-intensity lights in the front but not the taillights or side marker lights. Actually, some years ago when Pennsylvania passed a law requiring motorists to turn on their headlights in active work zones, the state police ran a radio PSA voiced by a state trooper in which he specifically stated: "Motorists in vehicles equipped with daytime running lights must turn on their headlights on in order to activate their taillights."  

GM cars back to the early 90s had DRLs.

DRLs became a legal mandate in Canada in 1990, and some manufacturers started incorporating them into US market vehicles in the mid 90s to reduce the number of variations being built in (or shipped to) North America. In fact, GM actually led the charge petitioning NHTSA to allow DRLs in the US specifically for that reason.

I have no idea why the illuminated dashboards that all cars seem to have now are legal in combination with DRLs.

Exactly. As far as people driving at night with DRLs (or no lights at all), I blame the current crop of dashboards. Up until about 2005, nearly all cars had gauges that were plainly visible in daylight but couldn't be seen at night without illumination. And if you got in your car at night and didn't turn on the headlights, you'd know that right away because your instruments would be completely invisible. In the early to mid 2000s, many if not most cars transitioned to gauge clusters that couldn't really be seen at all in daylight with the ignition off, and these gauges would magically spring to life (sometimes with a gratuitous needle sweep) when the ignition was turned on–even at night with no headlights.

BTW, regarding the illuminated dashboards, my Acura has one and if I don't turn on my headlights at night, the dashboard lights are way too bright.

While this may serve as a reminder to the type of savvy driver who would have the presence of mind to turn on his headlights anyway, I think the brain dead type would ignore this anyway. I've passed countless cars on the freeway at night where the dashboard was glowing like Las Vegas–enough to light up the driver's face in darkness. It seems almost everyone wants their dashboard illumination set to 11.

[Brandon]

I had always thought that DRLs meant head and tail.

I have never owned a vehicle with DRLs.  I have rented plenty but I am hoping I always turned my actual taillights on at night! 

No, just the headlights, and I hate the damn things.  Most folks I've seen seem to think they're sufficient for rain, fog, or snow.  DRL's are not, folks.  You need your taillights as well!

Now if can just get to banning fog lights.  90% of those I encounter on the road have no idea that you do not use them during normal nighttime conditions.  They're just as annoying and blinding as leaving one's brights on all the fricking time.

BTW, regarding the illuminated dashboards, my Acura has one and if I don't turn on my headlights at night, the dashboard lights are way too bright.

While this may serve as a reminder to the type of savvy driver who would have the presence of mind to turn on his headlights anyway, I think the brain dead type would ignore this anyway. I've passed countless cars on the freeway at night where the dashboard was glowing like Las Vegas–enough to light up the driver's face in darkness. It seems almost everyone wants their dashboard illumination set to 11.

I've seen that as well.  How can you even see the road in front of you if you have such a bright display only a foot or two away from your eyes?  There's a novel invention just next to the light switch.  It dims the interior lights, and it's most useful.

[Brian556]

I do think that it should be illegal for dashboards to illuminate without the headlights on. It is unnecessary, and causes problems.

I have seen vehicles driving on un-illuminated rural intestates with only DRL's on at night. Considering that DRL's aren't don't illuminate the road well at all, it's a pretty good indicator that the driver is a dumbass.

My car has DRL's, but I still turn on the headlights anytime I would have on a vehicle w/o DRL's.

[corco]

I've seen that as well.  How can you even see the road in front of you if you have such a bright display only a foot or two away from your eyes?  There's a novel invention just next to the light switch.  It dims the interior lights, and it's most useful.

You would be amazed how many people don't know that their car has a dimmer switch for interior lights. Every single car made in the last 20 years has a dimmer switch. It might not be in an intuitive location, and it varies wildly (sometimes it's by the light switch, on my car it's on the turn signal stalk, a lot of Japanese cars the switch either is the one that also resets the trip odometer (twist it) or is another switch on the gauge cluster that looks just like it, sometimes it's on the side panel), but your car has a dimmer switch.

No, just the headlights, and I hate the damn things.  Most folks I've seen seem to think they're sufficient for rain, fog, or snow.  DRL's are not, folks.  You need your taillights as well!

Yeah, I don't think there is ANY situation where you need headlights on but not taillights. I've had some close calls on snowy, foggy where I've almost rear-ended assholes that think they don't need their taillights on. If you need added visibility to see forward, I promise you the cars behind you would appreciate the added visibility of seeing your taillights. The only time it makes even a little sense to only have headlights on is if it is a clear day and you're on a wide open two lane road. Then oncoming traffic looking to pass can see you better.