[Huey52]

Presumably another "litigation risk aversion" item in switching back to Auto so also presumably VW will not alter. USDOT may now demand same? 🤷‍♂️

The DOT is like the NEC in that they're continuously imposing new requirements, both agencies in an effort to save us from ourselves.

 

[Huey52]

Wow, that's so like our Federal agencies, one hand not knowing what the other does and so pointing at the other. Or in this case not even knowing what they themselves do!
😕

They're slow to test/approve but a bit quicker to update regulations forced upon manufacturers. Wish lists are easy but compliance is difficult.

Well ... because I'm like this ... I called the U.S. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration yesterday, to see if they require carmakers to force low beams to turn on at night. The NHTSA referred me to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The USCPSC rep laughed when I asked about headlights. "We don't regulate cars! That's the NHTSA."

In any event, I can't find any U.S. legal requirement that forces use of low beams at night. I don't think there is any such requirement. The complaint I see online is that the NHTSA has been too slow to approve use of new headlight technology, not that they're forcing new tech on an unwilling public.

 

[Huey52]

US Federal codes/requirements are ever changing. The NEC with which I'm more familiar has staggering changes almost every year, so 3-years is a relatively long time. Still I'm inclined to agree with you and also as so educated by another member in a recent related thread.

I'll utilize another "likely" in citing VW may just be litigation risk averse on this item, as many others, and decided to revert to On as the lowest common denominator of protecting we humans from ourselves.

Volvo has historically been a very safe vehicle and much of that is due to very conservative design principles. Folks don't seem to complain about them, but then most of their owners buy for just that reason.

This is not a federal requirement, since I could turn them off in my 2018 Volt. I think it is just VW thinking they know more than you do.