According to this website, all new vehicles sold in Japan must come with auto headlights by April 2020. We’re not sure if any new vehicles have been introduced to the Japanese domestic market since the start of this month. Cars introduced prior to April 2020 without automatic headlights can continue being sold until October 2021. This rules applies to most vehicles, though compliance deadlines are different for trucks and buses.
Under UN Regulation No. 48, automatic headlamps must be turned on within 2 seconds of ambient light decreasing below 1000 lux and within 5-300 seconds of ambient lighting exceeding 7000 lux.
Japan is apparently the first nation to make automatic headlights mandatory. Apparently, this is in response to the rate at which drivers cyclists and elderly pedestrians were being hit by drivers who had forgotten to switch their lights on after sunset.
The same article also states that daytime running lights may be made mandatory in the same way. This falls under UN Regulation No. 87.
We see this as a good step towards greater road safety. No matter how vigilant you are, all humans are prone to making mistakes. In Malaysia, the cheapest new car to feature auto headlamps is the Proton Iriz 1.3L Executive. The Kia Picanto is the cheapest non-national car to feature this simple but effective piece of tech.
Auto headlights have increasingly become fit as standard equipment in many new vehicles.
Relevant UN Regulation
1 Compliance with these conditions shall be demonstrated by the applicant, by simulation or other means of verification accepted by the Type Approval Authority.
2 The illuminance shall be measured on a horizontal surface, with a cosine corrected sensor on the same height as the mounting position of the sensor on the vehicle. This may be demonstrated by the manufacturer by sufficient documentation or by other means accepted by the Type Approval
Authority
