NHTSA Complaint #11623051 — 2022 JEEP COMPASS

All Vehicles with Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) that are configured in a manner to illuminate the primary low beam or high beam headlamps, or a significant output of an LED source are a danger to other vehicles at night if they are too bright. Vehicles with the above characteristics put drivers at risk as the operator of that vehicle assumes they have their lights on due to the amount of light they can see, but the taillights are not illuminated in any fashion. There are no active or passive warnings to the operators that they have no lights on. They assume that because they can see, others can see them but that is not the case in most instances. The drivers themselves, in newer cars at least with digital information displays, are often seen with brightly illuminated dashboards hindering their own visibility because the car believes it is daylight, and has all internal brightness settings to max to ensure visibility. The easiest proposal for remediation is a mass recall and software update by the manufacturers to these vehicles where the DRL function is replaced by using a low output light on all directions, similar to parking lights (where the brake lights are in a dim setting similar to being on, and the front turn signals are in a dim setting) thus increasing daytime visibility still, while also having rear-facing safety for themselves and other drivers. This is of course, not limited to the 2022 Jeep Compass, but all brands, and a large percentage of vehicles form the last decade. More and more drivers are not familiar with their vehicles, and as automated settings for headlamp control advances, drivers are no longer familiar with the standardized symbols indicated the difference between parking lights, low beams, and fog lamps. See attached photos for 3 examples from three different manufacturers. I see several daily on my way to work in Boston, and numerous drivers flashing their highbeams at the unilluminated vehicle, in an attempt to alert them.