I’ve been seeing this a lot lately and saw it twice on my way home from work last night, once on an expressway. It seems to always be newish SUVs from US manufacturers. The cars are driving at night with headlights and even fog lights on (with no fog in sight) but no tail lights! They are completely blacked out from the rear which seems really dangerous. I understand that this is just a case of idiot drivers but why would any manufacturer enable this practice by allowing such a light setting for any vehicle? Are they trying to improve gas mileage by eliminating the power drain required to light up the tail lights???

  • BasslineFreshDetail@alien.topB
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    10 months ago

    A big part of this issue is that Physical Dashboards used to be dark at night, then light up along with your full Lights once turned on.

    Now that we have Digital Dashes, there’s no icons, and no reminders that your full lights arent on.

  • Neverend3r@alien.topB
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    10 months ago

    This is a huge problem, nearly 25% of every newer car is driving with no lights on.

  • Witty_Equivalent_968@alien.topB
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    10 months ago

    Saw this same situation recently while driving in the rain. Newer Mazda SUV, front headlights on, front and rear wipers on, dash lit up, taillights on? Nope!

  • penguinchem13@alien.topB
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    10 months ago

    People always say the reason is that the dash is always lit now. If it’s true, it’s going to keep getting worse with digital dashes, which can’t turn off completely.

  • mobbedoutkickflip@alien.topB
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    10 months ago

    Those are just morons who don’t know how to use their lights. They’re running DRLs because their lights are set to “off” even though cars have had an “auto” setting for the last 20 years.

    Also, how would battery powered lights affect the gas mileage?

    • DodgerBlueRobert1@alien.topB
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      10 months ago

      cars have had an “auto” setting for the last 20 years.

      Not all cars in the last 20 years have auto headlights.

  • mr_lab_rat@alien.topB
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    10 months ago

    Daytime running lights in combination with digital dash. I don’t understand how automatic lights are not mandatory.

  • velociraptorfarmer@alien.topB
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    10 months ago

    It’s daytime running lights without automatic headlights equipped (or at least turned on).

    100% not a manufacturer issue, it’s completely a dumbass driver issue.

  • idontremembermyoldus@alien.topB
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    10 months ago

    It seems to always be newish SUVs from US manufacturers.

    I don’t know where you’re at, but it’s always Japanese and Korean cars here. Pretty much everything made by the big-3 has automatic headlights at this point.

  • idontfeelsogooo@alien.topB
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    10 months ago

    The worst part about this is that those idiots get away doing things like this but I get ticketed for going 10 over the speed limit. Fuck!

  • kanapkazpasztetem@alien.topB
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    10 months ago

    A lot of DRL comments here so I have a question, why DRLs are so popular? what is the deal with them?
    I’d assume even in old cars with “standard” bulbs cost of keeping lights on all the time is negligible when compared to the total costs of having a car and maintaining it…

  • RurouniRinku@alien.topB
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    10 months ago

    Everyone mentioning daytime running lights, but there’s another issue that’s also fairly common. For some reason, auto manufacturers at some point in history began putting taillights on a separate fuse from the headlights, so often the taillight fuse will pop, but the driver doesn’t realize because the headlights are still working.

  • jwclair@alien.topB
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    10 months ago

    My Audi has automatic headlamps. Has a switch for automatic switching on. If you manually switch it off, the car will remind you it’s switched off when it’s dark.