Would you expect rear lights on with Daylight Running Lights (DRL)?

[watdub]

My MG5 is my first car that has Daylight Running Lights or lights that come on automatically when I turn the car on. With my previous cars, I would have turned the lights on manually and the front and rear lights would illuminate.

On a whim, I looked at my rear lights this afternoon and they were not turned on while the front lights were. I have the car almost a year and this is the first time I've noticed it! (The rear lights work if I turn them on manually).

Would you expect the rear lights to automatically turn on if you had the auto-DRL option turned on?

TIA

 

[Silver estate]

My MG5 is my first car that has Daylight Running Lights or lights that come on automatically when I turn the car on. With my previous cars, I would have turned the lights on manually and the front and rear lights would illuminate.

On a whim, I looked at my rear lights this afternoon and they were not turned on while the front lights were. I have the car almost a year and this is the first time I've noticed it! (The rear lights work if I turn them on manually).

Would you expect the rear lights to automatically turn on if you had the auto-DRL option turned on?

TIA

My 2018 Kia Ceed was the same , but that also turned the DRL’s off when you applied the hand brake

 

[Cocijo]

As a general rule don‘t expect DRL’s to also include rear side lights. Yes, on some models - (BMW springs to mind) they can be set to automatically have both DRL and rear side lights on.
DRL’s are not intended for use during dusk/dark that is when headlights should be used which obviously will light the rear side lights as well.

 

[watdub]

Just checked my DRL in the fading evening light. Now the rear lights are ON!

So in daylight, it's seems like front lights only but front and rear as the light fades (in auto mode)...

 

[Lguk]

DRLs are (were) not required to operate the rear lights. Complete farce if you ask me, but the Canadian government agrees, they've now mandated DRLs must illuminate the rear too.

Like many cars my MG5 runs the DRLs at the front and lights up the dash, it doesn't operate the rear. Automatic headlights will illuminate front and rear when it detects light levels low enough, however these levels are subject to debate.

I'm hoping MG will write it into a future software update, not holding my breath though. With any luck Canada making this mandatory will filter into other regions or change the base build spec accordingly.

 

[Cocijo]

Do you have automatic headlights? If that’s set to auto it will switch on both headlamps and side lights when it get dark enough. And turn off DRL’s.

 

[watdub]

@Cocijo & @Lguk - Thanks for the clarification. Just seemed odd to me that you'd have no rear lights in auto mode during daylight hours. You'd imagine you're just as likely to have 'crazy' drivers behind you as in front of you?

@Cocijo Yes I do have the lights set to auto. I just assumed the car manufacturer would know more about road safety than me. I guess my preference would be to have the rear lights on also during the day so maybe I'll switch to manual.

 

[Cocijo]

DRLs are (were) not required to operate the rear lights. Complete farce if you ask me, but the Canadian government agrees, they've now mandated DRLs must illuminate the rear too.

Like many cars my MG5 runs the DRLs at the front and lights up the dash, it doesn't operate the rear. Automatic headlights will illuminate front and rear when it detects light levels low enough, however these levels are subject to debate.

I'm hoping MG will write it into a future software update, not holding my breath though. With any luck Canada making this mandatory will filter into other regions or change the base build spec accordingly.

That’s interesting. Why do you think it’s important to have your rear sidelights on with the DRL’s during the day in bright conditions? If it gets darker the headlamps/sidelights come on anyway don’t they?

 

[watdub]

I'd like to think it makes me more visible and reduce the odds of getting rear-ended.

TBH, I've never really thought about it, just assumed if front lights were warranted, rear lights would be too? I don't think other road users like cyclists make a distinction between front and rear lights on their vehicles.

Oops, sorry - thought you were asking me the question.

 

[Alb]

I wouldn't expect the rear lights to come on as part of DRL but I do expect them to come on under AUTO lights when it's dark enough to warrant illumination. Unfortunately, the MG5 fails on that latter expectation!

 

[Lguk]

That’s interesting. Why do you think it’s important to have your rear sidelights on with the DRL’s during the day in bright conditions? If it gets darker the headlamps/sidelights come on anyway don’t they?

Because Auto Headlights only come on below a certain threshold, and this is usually set darker than the point a person would choose to flip them on. Because the dash is lit up and auto headlights are on, many drivers are oblivious to the fact the rears aren't on. Rainy/Misty and Dusk/Dawn situations that would call for lights are often not picked up by light sensors. It's also possible to turn off auto without realising and again everything the driver sees is illuminated, totally oblivious to a lack of rear light.

For all the reasons DRLs are a good idea 24/7, rear lights would also be beneficial.

I personally set my lights on manually for my morning commute, because half way to work the auto turns them off and I feel it's still dark enough to warrant them being on. I only really notice the transition because Android Auto switches from dark mode to light, I wouldn't notice the sidelight symbol on the dash turn off.

 

[Cocijo]

Good points. If your dash is illuminated and auto headlights on the rear lights are also turned on aren’t they?
I never rely on auto headlights and I decide if I want to turn my headlights on. Yes, sometimes they work great and I do leave them on auto - but if I judge headlights are needed (and the auto setting has not turned them on) I switch them on myself and don’t rely on the judgment of the auto light sensor. It is the driver’s responsibility after all.

 

[Lguk]

Good points. If your dash is illuminated and auto headlights on the rear lights are also turned on aren’t they?
I never rely on auto headlights and I decide

The dash illuminates continously. If you have inadvertently turned off auto-headlights, it's not made clear. The DRLs produce enough light to lead you to believe your lights are on. Most people look in front of them and won't notice the tell-tale for sidelights is off.

I've followed many cars on misty mornings that haven't manually switched their lights on as the drivers failed to realise the sensors are not a replacement for a competent driver.

 

[awbugritt]

They are probably the same idiots who think the indicator stalk is for decoration only!

 

[Hairyfool]

AS the DRLs were intended as pedestrian protection there is not a lot of point in the rear lights coming on as well.

 

[Fluffykins]

As a general rule don‘t expect DRL’s to also include rear side lights. Yes, on some models - (BMW springs to mind) they can be set to automatically have both DRL and rear side lights on.
DRL’s are not intended for use during dusk/dark that is when headlights should be used which obviously will light the rear side lights as well.

For the BMW it probably makes up for the lack of indicators.

 

[awbugritt]

AS the DRLs were intended as pedestrian protection there is not a lot of point in the rear lights coming on as well.

It's when motorists use them as a substitute for the main lights in bad weather that I have a problem with.

 

[Tweed98]

For the BMW it probably makes up for the lack of indicators.

The indicators are there, I think it is one of the new pay to use features though!

 

[watdub]

Daytime running lights (DRL)

General information and use of daytime running lights.

www.rsa.ie

What is a DRL?
A daytime running light or lamp (DRL) is a lighting system on the front of a vehicle which generally operate automatically when the engine is running emits a white light to increase the visibility of the vehicle during daylight conditions. Currently under EU Type Approval legislation, DRL’s are only required to the front of vehicles and do not illuminate the rear of the vehicle.

Can DRLs be used at night-time?
No, as they do not produce enough light to illuminate the road at night-time. DRL's are only suitable for daylight hours and when in use, your lights to the rear and instrument lights may not be on in some cases so it is extremely important to remember that headlights still need to be switched on before darkness. For guidance on the correct operating procedure for DRL’s fitted to a particular make or model of vehicle, you should refer to the owner’s manual or contact the vehicle manufacturer or authorised distributor.

 

[rotorhead]

What brain dead moron wrote the legislation not to require rear lights at the same time as front, the front ones aren't as obviously needed as much as the rears, we're all (or should be) watching the the front, it's the rear we can't always be sure of...