£1,000 fine warning as drivers making same mistake on the motorway

Drivers said to be confused about what they should do in severe weather conditions

Millions of drivers have been warned they are making a potentially costly mistake when driving on the motorway. Modern cars are equipped with daytime running lights (DRLs) which come on automatically when the engine is switched on.

Motorists have no choice but to have these on under safety laws. But many mistakenly believe that these daytime lights are good enough for visibility when driving in poor conditions on the motorway.

This includes when there is heavy rain or dark skies. Drivers have been reminded they should always have their headlights on in these situations so they can be clearly seen by others.

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They have been warned they could be hit with fines up to £1,000 if spotted by police. 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. 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 recent 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."