Drivers have been issued an important warning, telling them that not following a simple Highway Code rule could hit them with a £1,000 fine this winter.
All new cars across the UK are legally required to have ‘daytime running lights’ (DRLs) that come on automatically when the engine is started. Somerset Live reports that these low-wattage lights aim to increase visibility with their design, and reduce vehicle accidents.
In typical cases, DRLs do not automatically illuminate the lights at the back of your car, and this can be a problem if you are relying on them during the winter, or days with poor visibility. Dipped headlights do turn on the rear lights automatically - and not switching to this could be asking for trouble.
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In the worst case scenario, relying on your DRLs could result in a £1,000 fine.
Graham Conway, managing director at Select Car Leasing says: "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, 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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