Experts are warning motorists they risk making this dangerous - and potentially costly - mistake with their vehicle lights.
Since 2011 all new cars in the UK are legally required to have ‘daytime running lights’, or DRLs, that come on automatically when the engine is started. These low-wattage lamps are designed to increase visibility and reduce vehicle accidents during the day.
But in many cases the DRL system does not automatically illuminate lights at the rear. And if you’re relying on DRLs on winter roads with poor visibility or during the dark - instead of using your dipped headlights, which DO automatically force the rear lights to come on - you’re asking for trouble.
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In the worst case scenario, if you mistakenly rely on your daytime running lights rather than your proper headlights, you could face a £1,000 fine if stopped by the police. Graham Conway, managing director at Select Car Leasing said: “DRLs have been helping to improve road safety for more than a decade now.
“But I’d urge motorists to understand precisely how they work and what job they’re supposed to do. Here at Select, we’ve heard countless reports of people failing to illuminate their headlights and taillights while driving in poor visibility in recent weeks, and there’s a fear motorists might mistakenly believe that their DRLs are sufficient in those sorts of conditions. They’re not.
“We had a rash of reports during last week’s rain storms, with drivers taking to spray-engulfed motorways with just their DRLs lit - which is obviously incredibly dangerous. And it would clearly be extremely foolish to rely on DRLs when the sun goes down, too.
“The most important thing to remember is that many DRL systems don’t automatically light the rear lights. If you want to be seen by the cars who are following you, be sure to click your headlights on. According to the Highway Code, you must use headlights when visibility is ‘seriously reduced’ - either through light conditions, rain or fog - and generally when you can’t see for more than 100 metres (328 feet).
“Failure to illuminate properly can lead to a £1,000 fine if spotted by the police. Taking proactive control of the different lights you use will increase your safety and reduce any risk on winter journeys.”
Dominic Smith, the director at Patterson Law, the UK’s largest road traffic offence specialist said: “The requirement in law is for every vehicle to have working headlamps, rear lamps, registration plates lamps and side marker lamps. All such lamps must be unobscured and lit during the hours of darkness and during seriously reduced visibility.
“Hours of darkness are defined as between sunset and sunrise. ‘Seriously reduced visibility’ is not defined, but would be a question of fact. Examples could include fog, snow, heavy rain or spray conditions and badly overcast weather, just to name a few.
“Failure to have working lamps or failure to illuminate lamps during such conditions would be an offence which would carry a fine of up to £1000. This would include cases where front lamps are illuminated but the rear ones are not.
“If no lamps are showing and the conditions are serious enough that a police officer could deem that the driver is causing serious danger to other road users, this may even fall under the offence of dangerous driving, which carries a minimum 12-month disqualification.”
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