I live in Germany, near the Danish border. Here, most people drive using DRLs. It really does make a difference, for example, an oncoming car is seen instantly at a distance, whereas a car without lights may be concealed by the shadow of overhanging trees, especially in bright sunlight. It's safer.

Guy, Kiel, Germany

The cars can be made more visible if all of them where painted in lime green.
Why not?.
If the victims figures go down this 3 to 5 per cent when the daytime lights rule aplies, we can prepare orselves to some new stupid rule like make all cars the same bright color.

Fer, Ferrol, Spain

Canadian cars use the main beam filament at low power for their daylight running lights. That avoids the flashing effect we see in the UK when cars on dipped beam go over a bump. It also means they can be seen clearly with no dazzle. Use of a turn signal switches off the headlamp on that side.

Chris Rogers, Warrington, Cheshire

DRLs - not needed in the UK! If you can't see a car without headlights on, you shouldn't be driving.
Also, many headlights are today so badly adjusted that they dazzle even in daylight. The UK MoT alignment checks are rarely carried and don't apply to newer cars, anyway.

Pierre, Stevenage, UK

Will this also be an encouragement to make headlamp bulb replacement HARDER?
I run my car 'Swedish style' and have just had to pay for an hurs labour to replace my (failed dipped beam) four headlamp bulbs.
More profit for the dealerships - here we come.....

C Ward, Kettering, UK

Here where it is 35-45 degrees on desert roads it is much easier to see the cars with lights ON -which is a common practice. It's rarely less safe to have lights on when moving and the cost benefits must weigh heavily on the side of having them on. Most objections are just oft-repeated fallacies.

PM, Puerto Cabras, Spain

It's a no brainer. This should have been done years ago. If you have ever driven in Scandinavia you will know how effective and safe it is.

Gerard Hall, London, uk

It occurs to me that this is merely another way of dumbing down driving for those who can't do it properly. Unless it gets particularly dull during the day, DRLs are not necessary.

As to making cyclists less visible, tell that to the cyclists that ride at night in dark clothes with no lights!

Ben A, Manchester,

As a Swede who has lived in the UK and now Montana, US I can make some comparisons on the use and usefulness of daytime lights.

That the use of daytime lights would make cyclists and motorcyclists 'invisible' is simply wrong. Furthermore, the decrease of intervals of changing lightbulbs is marginal

Dr Mikael Klingeborn, Hamilton, USA

More to the point, it is generally duller with poorer visibility in the UK than in Scandinavia so the comment that the weather is so good in the UK that you don't need daytime lights there is rubbish! Furthermore, daytime lights increase visibility of oncoming cars even under the bluest skies!

Dr Mikael Klingeborn, Hamilton, USA

About time that cars will show lights when moving. I would be delighted if someone would tell farmers about vehicle lights. What do they think they are for if they don't use them?

Bill, Cumbria , UK

Daytime running lights for all vehicles have been mandatory in Canada for several years and they are very effective for increased visibility of approaching vehicles. They are especially important for the safety of motorcyles.

Greg , Cobourg, Canada

Daytime running lights have been the law in Canada for decades. They do NOT increase cost by replacing bulbs, which I have not done on any car for 3 decades. In some U.S. States, if it starts to rain and you turn your wipers on (if they're not automatic) then daytime running lights come on as well

Ed Buscall, Victoria, B.C., Canada

Daylight running lights are meant to make vehicles easier to spot when approaching, so why are the rear lights on too?

Frank, Winchester,

As a Brit living in Norway, I have to say that this is a good thing. It really does help, even on sunny summer days (we have midnight sun here & long sunny days in spring & summer, Adam!). BUT it should really be compulsory for all vehicles, including motorcycles (easier to see a MC w/lights on)!

Michael, Oslo, Norway

Am I the only person who finds those fog lights absolutely useless?

Dave Tolond, Gloucester,

All cars have lights, if you think its that important, flick the switch, just turn them off when you get out.

Richard, Brighton, UK

Headlights are there to illuminate the road in the dark. Cars are big and clearly visible in daylight without lights. Only smaller vehicles such as bikes need lights to be seen. I will not buy a vehicle that forces me to have lights on unnecessarily. This is all just a marketing ploy!

Rudi, Fleet, UK

About time too! It is well know, and proved in many countries, that even if full sun, there is a reduction of accidents when daylight driving lights are used. It is sad that Britain has had to be dragged into this by European legislation instead of being ahead of the game.

Bill Potter, Telford, Shropshire

As a motorcyclist i belive this will make me almost invisible on the road, When people are driving they expect to see other cars all the time so the lookout for them without thinking about it, motorcycles on the otherhand arnt as comon so light can be a useful tool in saying "Look at me"

Gary, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear

At 3 pm in summer, here in Spain you barely can see the car lights standing in the front of it, much less in the road

Juan Gómez, Valencia, Spain

I can live with the idea of daytime running lights, but please switch off the "poser" lights. If you read your manual you'll find that they are in fact fog lights! Running at night with additional lights causes glare to oncoming drivers; it is not safe, and it makes you look foolish too.

John, Nottingham, UK

Safer for who?? This development will just serve to make cyclists and motorcyclists more 'invisible' to the careless idiots who drive cars.

Ben Garside, Loughborough, UK

In France where I live, it's optional (on older/cheaper cars without automatic running light system) and therefore very haphazard! My own question is - doesn't this decrease dramatically the interval between having to change lightbulbs and therefore add appreciably to the running costs of the car?

Roger Oliver, Palaja near Carcassonne, France

Cyclists, motorcyclists, horse riders, joggers etc use lights to make themselves stand out from the 'background noise' of cars. This is vital because they come off worse in a collision.
This proposal might stop the odd car hitting another but will almost certainly kill more people.

Chris, Hitchin,

If you can't see the car on a sunny day without the lights, you probably shouldn't be driving..

Greg Brown, Zug, Switzerland

Finn, it will not be full blown headlights it will be like the lights on volvo's, dim lights that are permanently on, but i agree on the point about motorcyclists. The only reason it is a law in Scandanavia is because it is always dull with poor visibility, we do not have the same problem here.

Adam, Kettering,

If these are to be no more than side lights that illuminate themselves automatically at dusk they seem sensible. However, full headlight on a summer's day is daft and will compromise the safety of motorcyclists who use their lights to stand out.

Finn, London, England

Having your lights on will increae your fuel consumption; but only by very tiny amounts. With the growth in LED running lights this will be even less; especially when combined with "smart" alternators that only engage when you're braking or have lifted off the accelerator.

David, Norwich, England

“There is a concern that drivers start looking out for lights rather than pedestrians and cyclists.”

Shouldn't we be looking for cars and peredestrians and cyclists at all times anyway?

Phil, Surrey, UK

On a long straight, while overtaking, I find that daytime running lights make speed and distance harder to judge.

Liam, Dublin, Ireland

When i completed my Advanced Driving course in the 90's i was taught the value of daytime running lights - it's all about being seen.

As an aside, the much maligned BMW driver with their "blaring headlights" is actually their automatic running light system. A great system that all should adopt.

Martin, Manchester, Great Britain

Running your vehicle with the lights on daytime simply increases petrol consumption.
Interestingly, during World War II, the RAF fitted spotlights to aircraft carrying out low-level attacks on U-boats because it made it harder to judge their range and speed !

Chris Billington, Wetherby, UK