what are front park lights for?

[Bud_wiser]

on my car you'll get a beep if you leave the lights on. So that kind of defeats the purpose of these lights if I leave them on when I park. So what are these for?

[OTEP]

In European vehicles, there are literally PARK LAMPS. When you operate the lights using the parklamp switch, only the parklamps (front and rear) will light up. The instrument cluster and license plate lamps will remain off.

This is in line with regulations in some EU countries that require vehicles parked on narrow side streets to have their parklamps on overnight. To conserve battery power, the driver can select to turn on only the parklamps on the streetside (not the curbside).

In non-EU cars, the lamps function as clearance lamps, to mark where the front corners of the vehicle are during driving at dusk or dawn. There is a beep so that you won't forget to turn them off [and flatten the battery] when you park.

[slip-slick]

in my old bmw e30, you can turn on just the left or right parklight. if you're parked on the right side of the road, you would leave the left park lamp on, and vice versa.

for other cars, i think they are also called daytime driving lights..