Why is lights on a problem? My problem is that lights are not always on.
If I leave the lights in the "on" position, the car should just turn them off when I turn off the car, and not beep angrily at me instead.
Daytime running lights have proven that they save lights in Europe for the last 30 years.
You may not think it, but vehicles with lights on are significantly easier to spot and avoid, even in bright sunlight, than vehicles with lights off.
And it turns out that seeing vehicles easily is an important factor in avoiding accidents.
There's so much data on this that it's beyond any kind of doubt that mandatory DTRL is a large, net-positive savings for society.
DTRL have been voted down in the US because "it would make cars more expensive." (Classic car industry FUD)
Meanwhile, every car must by law have two air bag protected seats (which mainly help if you're not wearing the seatbelt in the first place).
I guess the difference is that DTRL mainly helps *others*, whereas air bags help *you*. IMO, that's an anti-social way to think, which is way too common in the US (and generally a trait of our current political climate, too).
DTRL: It's a free software change, and everyone should just get it by mandate. Save lives, for free!