The European Union is once again putting road safety first, announcing a fundamental change to the regulation on car lighting. After years of dangerous misunderstandings related to daytime running lights, Brussels has taken a decision that will eliminate one of the most worrying mistakes in modern car design: driving without tail lights on during the dark hours of the day.
The problem born of design and savings
Years ago, with the introduction of mandatory daytime running lights (DRL), an unforeseen drawback arose. As the light became a design highlight, many manufacturers made an exception, allowing cars to drive with only the front DRLs on, while the rear lights remained off. The original idea was noble – saving energy and fuel, especially after the mass migration to energy-saving LEDs.
Alas, this "saving measure" turned out to be a serious legislative error. Drivers, seeing their headlights brightly lit, mistakenly believed that their rear lights were also active. The result was thousands of cars driving at dusk, at dusk and even in complete darkness with their rear lights completely off, turning into almost invisible silhouettes and creating critical visibility problems for other drivers.
Studies have revealed shocking data. In Sweden, for example, it was found that 82% of cars drive with their rear lights off, with 76% of drivers convinced that they were on, when in fact they were. It was also found that the distance between vehicles is reduced by 9 centimeters when the rear lights are off – an indicator of reduced reaction time in an extreme situation.
Europe has finally reacted, changing the regulation in stages:
From September 22, 2024, all new models approved for sale in the EU must have both daytime running lights and taillights on at the same time. Although the law provides a technical exception for daylight above 7,000 lux, most manufacturers choose to keep the taillights on all the time as a safety measure.
Mandatory taillights from 2027: Preparations are underway for a new change that will make it de facto mandatory for all cars to have taillights on 24/7. This law will come into force for all new cars sold from 2027, but is also intended to apply to older vehicles homologated before September 2024.
The goal is clear and not subject to interpretation: to prevent accidents in conditions of reduced visibility and to ensure that no car is invisible to other road users. Whether this action will not reduce the effect of brake lights is another question, however...