I am off to Luxembourg in a few weeks going via calais, Fance then Belgium and in the Eurocamp stuff I got recently it says that a new european law has been passed saying all cars must travel with there lights on during the day.

I new this was the case in Sweden, but was unaware of the rest of Europe. Several people who I know whi have recently driven aboard were unaware of it. It definately was not the case in Spain 12 months a go.

Anyone know

There is no such law Europe-wide. However, some countries mandate lights on 24/7, mostly in Eastern and Northern Europe. It varies though, the Dutch often drive with lights on, even though it is not mandatory. Belgians and the French don't drive with lights on a lot, but it is on the rise in Germany.

A lot of the "European driving advice" you get in leaflets from Eurocamp, Brittany Ferries and the like is over cautious and tells you things are mandatory when they aren't. Last time I saw such a leaflet the list of things you were required to carry in your car was a mile long, saying they were compulsory when they were in fact only recommended.

in Portugal lights on all day are only mandatory in certain roads known to be dangerous: IP4, A25 and i think IP3.

Compulsory daytime running lights are a feature of far northern countries which have extended twilights. Certainly Sweden, Finland and Canada, probably others as well. Vehicles sold in these markets have an automatic switching of the lights (which nowadays is a software feature rather than a wiring mod.

In the USA trucks and buses have also always operated with headlights on for many decades. Likewise US trains, with their huge number of uncontrolled level crossings and associated accidents, have run with headlights on 24 x 7 going right back into steam locomotive days.

All new cars sold in the EU from 2011 have to have daytime running lights

You already see them on new VWs and Audis in particular.

I suspect once these become commonplace many drivers of older cars will feel they need to have their dipped beams on so as not to be outshone

Yes, the dazzlement arms race begins. I bet motorcyclists will be very pleased about that...

We've had the debate before. IIRC, it ended with someone in favour of Daytime Running Lights saying something, when challenged on the grounds of arms race with pedal cycles (which have low powered lights and are vunerable) saying that if you can't see a bike in daytime without it having lights you shouldn't be on the road - to which I replied that if you can't see a car in daytime without it having lights on, then that's even more reason for you not to be on the road and that seemed to kill the debate.

At best its a pretty pointless thing to do (obviously when visibility is low or in tunnels, etc it's not), at worst it's downright dangerous, making vulnerable road users harder to see.

It's definitely law in the Czech Republic already.

signol

A late friend of mine always used to say something similar about the fashion of light aircraft leaving their landing lights on, until a C-130 flew across in front of him one day.

My understanding is that Italy requires lights in tunnels and on autostrade. I tend to keep them on whenever I'm outside a town.

I've just come back from a trip to Croatia and can confirm you must use dipped headlights outside towns in Italy. Of the other countries I went through, they must be on at all times in Switzerland, Slovenia and Croatia.

Italy -- is this a new requirement? I was last there in 2008 (but didn't drive) and last drove there in 2006, and don't remember either coming across that requirement or noting that a particularly large number of motorists drove with their lights on.

Hungary had compulsory DRL in 1997 when I was there -- it was a pain because it was August and bright sunshine and our car didn't have any kind of alarm to remind you you've left your lights on when you turn the engine off. We drained the battery twice because of that.

i tend to use the lights on in day time outside the metropolitan areas as my car is a very dark grey and under the very strong sun, the tree shades tend to make the car invisible to incoming traffic.

I thought it had been a requirement for several years now, but I could be mistaken. If you click below, it confirms they must be used as of now.

http://driving.drive-alive.co.uk/driving-in-italy.htm

Thats just another "urge on the side of caution" site.

Only Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland the Faroe Islands and a select few Eastern block countries require you to have your lights on at all times.

Other than for tunnels and such.

Oh, don't forget to put them thingys on your headlights for the glare and your hi-viz vest (1 per passenger in a car) and your first aid kit and your warning triangle and your fire extinguisher and your spare bulb kit and if you go to Spain you need 2 of everything...... enjoy

It's not uncommon here in Ireland, but of course it is often poor visibility due to rain, cloud, mist/fog or short days - so there are entirely valid conditions for having lights on, and indeed those who don't are driving dangerously. I would argue that despite having weather that is a bit better, the UK being a similarly high latitude is in much the same situation (indeed more so in the case of Scotland - it's as valid there as the Nordic countries).

If daylight running is mandated here, it is probably worthwhile just to stop the idiots who drive with no lights in poor visibility. Any disadvantages are probably outweighed by such a law ensuring that almost everyone will have lights on when they are needed.

I took some spare bulbs abroad for the rear lights, which are easy to change, but I didn't take spare headlight bulbs as you have to remove the front bumper and then the headlight to get at them on our car! They're xenon lights, which should be taken to the garage to change anyway because of the high voltage, so what's the point of carrying spares?

Try explaining that to the French Police!

I suppose it could be argued that you can go a garage and they can change even if they do not have the right spare in stock.