Question

What are parking lights?  

Parking lights are the low-intensity lights installed in all cars to help you park safely in low-light/visibility conditions.

The parking lights, or sidelights, are usually installed on the front and rear at the corners of the car. The control for these lights varies based on the car make. In popular makes such as Toyota, Honda, Ford, Nissan, etc., you can turn it on using the rotary dial on the dashboard or steering column.  

The cars with European-style controls, the parking light switch is located on the steering column stalk/lever.

Tesla uses touch screen control – lights – parking mode to turn on the side light.  

When should you put the parking lights on?  

You should turn on the parking lights when the car is parked on poorly lit/unlit roads or on narrow streets. They are used only for parking. Laws in states like California and Florida explicitly prohibit using these lights in place of headlights under any condition, even during twilight hours.

All the same, Alaska and Indiana mandate that cars parked on roadways or shoulders must have these lights turned on at night.

Are parking lights the same as taillights?  

No, the functions of both taillights and parking lights are different. While it needs to be turned on separately, the taillight lights up when the headlamps are turned on. Also, taillights are meant to make your moving car visible during low or no-light conditions. On the other hand, these lights are used to mark that the car is parked and not in motion. 

Do parking lights drain the car’s battery?  

Normally, a healthy battery is supposed to light up low-power parking lights for several hours. All the same, leaving the lights on for more than 24 hours might lead to battery drain, eventually.