New European laws will force all cars sold in the UK to be fitted with automatic daytime running lights by 2011.
The EU believes that daytime driving lights increase a car’s visibility and help reduce accidents by three to five per cent.
In Scandinavia, the practice of daytime driving with lights on has been commonplace for years. Volvo has long fitted headlights that stay on permanently, and more recently Audi and Peugeot have followed suit with automatic running lights.
Now the system will be a requirement for all major car manufacturers.
Not everyone believes this latest EU safety scheme is a good idea. Tory MEP Timothy Kirkhope told the Times: “There is a concern that drivers start looking out for lights rather than pedestrians and cyclists.”
