Why do so many people have their car headlights on when it's sunny?

[GraceUnderPresure]

It's getting more and more common, it's been making me wonder for a while whether I should do it too and if so why?

YABU - It's a safety thing and everyone should join in
YANBU - you can't turn them off on newer cars

I keep mine on so I don't forget to turn them one when it's dark! I like being seen too.

I do not have antisocial glaring headlights though and drive an old car.

I’ve got an old car without daylight running lights. I put the lights on as I’ve noticed a difference in how people treat you on the road. Like subconsciously a car is only moving if it has its lights on

Daytime running lights and automatic headlights are different things.

Daytime running lights (DRLs) automatically switch on front lights when the car is being driven. Usually no rear lights are activated with the DRLs. They're active even in strong daylight - in fact I think bright low sun is one of the situations in which they're supposed to be particularly helpful in making an approaching car more visible.

Cars with automatic headlights switch on front dipped headlights and taillights when they detect that ambient light levels have fallen below some threshold. With these, drivers sometimes forget that they don't necessarily detect low visibility conditions if it's still daylight, so it's important to remember to switch lights on manually when it's foggy.

If vehicles have DRLs but no automatic headlights then the driver still needs to switch on headlights after dusk as otherwise the back of the car will be completely unlit. I'm sure this accounts for an increase in vehicles driving around at night without any lights on the back. There will also be vehicles with automatic headlight systems, but whose drivers have switched them manually to 'off', either inadvertently or intentionally, and forgotten to turn them back on.

I never touch my headlights their automatic so they turn themselves on and off. I do wonder often why they are on in the middle of the day but I don't want to mess with them as iv got out of the habit now of turning lights on so I just leave them to do their thing

Daytime running lights have been mandatory on new cars since 2011 so YABU.

As they are a safety feature you generally can’t turn them off permanently.

It is a safety feature, it helps recognising the cars on the roads in situations like horizon against sun.
In half of the EU countries it is compulsory to have some lights on all the time no matter your car's age and all new cars in EU since 2011 have it automatically on.

I saw someone yesterday in lovely sunshine with their fog lights on. There hasn’t been fog for months!

My car is over 10 years old and doesn't have automatic headlights, but I put them all the time anyway! Too many cars have nearly or actually driven into me in broad daylight when they really should have seen me, I had a lovely car written off less than a year after buying it when a van drove into me. I really like my current car and if having my lights on increases my chances of being seen then I'm keeping them on!

Glad someone else notices this.

People are doing it deliberately for style reasons, and no one seems to be able to admit it . Everyone seems to be doing it by "accident" - I'm sorry but I just don't believe that.

The sunnier it is, the darker the shadows are when you’re driving with lots of trees. Especially in the countryside in small lanes.

Mine has daytime running lights and I’ve had people come up to me and say “your headlights are on”
yes I know!

I always keep a minimum of sidelights on so my rear is illuminated when I'm in shadows or high contrast and can't be easily seen against the surroundings. If the general light is good, they're not dazzling anyone.

Having lights on also helps with perspective of judging vehicle size/ distance given the chunky design on cars that look similar in very different sizes.

My car has daytime running lights, but they are the sidelights not the headlights.

When I'm in a line of traffic in glare/ rain/ poor daylight and it's hard to distinguish the back end of the vehicle in front, it always surprises me that people don't think "It's hard to see them, so is it hard to see me?"

Hmm.

I don't actually know where my fog lights are in this car

Where I am it’s the law to have them on all day in all weather.

Daytime Running Lights strike me as being more dangerous than helpful.
You glance down, and your brain registers lights being on, but you have no rear lights on.

All very well saying cars have had them for years, but if they are new you you, as a driver, then they are new to you. I didn't find out when I got my latest car that these automatic lights were only doing half a job, for some weeks.

They're believed to lead to a up to 9% reduction in daytime car accidents, so your feeling isn’t borne out in science.

Knowing how your new car operates is 100% on you as a driver, ignorance is hardly an excuse. “Sorry officer I couldn’t be bothered understanding how my new car works!”

Hmm what?

Some light conditions are poor and cars without lights blend into their surroundings, such as black cars in deep shadow, or low, bright sunlight reflecting off wet roads causing sillouettes.

Cyclists are recommended to wear hi-viz and use lights to optimise their visibility even in daylight. It's sensible for car drivers to optimise their visibility in poor conditions too.
Not all daylight equals good contrast and optimal driving conditions.

(Nothing concerning about my eyesight at my recent routine eye test either )

Knowing how your new car operates is 100% on you as a driver, ignorance is hardly an excuse. “Sorry officer I couldn’t be bothered understanding how my new car works!”

I knew someone would trot this out, but the point is, despite the fact I was replacing my old car with the same car but a newer version, I actually did read through the manual, and, apart from the fact they are generic manuals which often talk about features you specific car doesn't have, at no point did it say that DRLs don't include rear lights.

I've seen this discussed in lots of different groups on FB and different forums - believe me, it isn't just me that wasn't aware of it.

But the point is, even if it were just me, why would you add a feature that only works if you are seeing the front of the car ? It makes no sense.

As a driver, the most severe risk is coming into conflict with oncoming vehicles, which is where DRLs are useful. If the rear of a vehicle is facing you, chances are you’re both going in the same direction, plus brake lights come on at any time.

I'm not a driver. Have never noticed it. Is it so deaf people can tell a car is turned on and running so be more watchful or something similar because a lot of vehicles are so quiet now. Sorry, I know I sound clueless.

No, it’s simply to improve the visibility of vehicles, regardless of their colour or the weather conditions.