Car lighting glaringly inconsistent

One of the most obvious changes in driving habits over the past 20 years in the UK has been the increased use of car lighting, particularly while driving in daylight conditions. At the same time, we have seen EU legislation introduced (European Directive 76/656/EEC, as amended by 2008/89/EC) that stipulates that new types of vehicle produced after February 2011 must have daylight running lights that come on automatically when the ignition is switched on.

Historically, it was Volvo who introduced the daylight running light concept, with 21 watt bulbs installed on the 240 model in the 1970s.

Few would argue that low intensity lights on a car does not improve visibility in poor daylight conditions. But now the trend is for many vehicle users to drive around using their headlamps even in bright daylight conditions, as well as using them in well-lit situations at night. Is there anything wrong with this? The simple answer for night-time conditions is that it causes glare for other road users.