No clue if this has been suggested or not, but what about an automatic head light system? Take the 2006 Saturn Vue for example. If you look at this compact SUV, the Vue has its head and taillight system setup to turn on and off automatically at certain "levels of brightness" of the day. (I.E.: As the sun sets and it gets a bit darker, the lights activate. The lights turn off and the DRLs activate during sun rise and it gets to be brighter.) In the game, you're able to change the time of day but the newer vehicles (Hirochi Sunburst and SBR4, ETK 800 Series, ETC.) lights don't turn on. So, I mean, it's just a suggestion thanks for reading. Feel free to put your thoughts about this in the comments.
Even my moped has automatic lights, I think that on many countries automatic lights have been mandatory from some year at 90's. Modern cars have only front lights automatic, which is crazy, I mean countless of times I have seen cars in dark with only headlights on, I wonder how many crashes are needed to overcome energy savings from not keeping led rear lights lit with headlights? Anyway, different era car would need different setup for automatic lights, older won't have automatic lights, some have all lights automatic and some have only front lights automatic. Actually most modern cars have those weird DRL and not headlights are actually on automatically, so there is quite bit different options to get feature to be fully realistic.
DRL's (daytime running lights) are actually what you're talking about in your first two paragraphs. To quote Wikipedia, "the daytime running light function may be implemented by functionally specific lamps, by operating the low beam headlamps or fog lamps at full or reduced intensity, by operating the high-beam headlamps at reduced intensity, or by steady-burning operation of the front turn signals" [link]. Basically, DRL's are DRL's regardless of whether they use their own lights, or use the primary headlamps. The automatic lights to which the OP is referring will operate the taillights, low- and high-beams, and dashboard lighting based on ambient light levels, usually in addition to DRL's.
Oh yes, even high beam was automatic in some new car I had to travel some time ago, all I know is they operate by magic smoke, if that escape things does not work
My parents' 2006 (the model came out in '04 tho) Audi A3 has this for both lights and the windscreen wipers. It's a suiting feature, definitely for the ETKs and Hirochis.
