YSK that many cars have gauges and headlamps that are always lit, but tail & marker lights must be manually activated

Two different devices, when both included on the same vehicle, can easily give the driver the impression that all of their exterior lights (headlights, taillights/parking lights, and side markers) are fully lit when they aren't. You may be driving in the dark, unaware that your vehicle is nearly invisible to others.

Electroluminescent (EL) instrument panels are becoming more common each model year, on several models from virtually all makes. They are lit whenever the car is on because unlike traditional bulb-lit instruments, they aren't very visible when unlit. The advantage is a nice, uniformly lit gauge with no dim or bright spots. The downside is that they can fool the driver into believing that all their exterior lights are turned on. The car may or may not illuminate the remaining interior lighting such as radio, HVAC controls, and various switches. The car may or may not have a green light on the dashboard indicating that the exterior lights are on or off.

LCD gauges, found mostly on luxury cars, are also lit whenever the car is on.

Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) are forward-facing lamps that are lit whenever the car is on, in order to make the vehicle more conspicuous to oncoming traffic. In the U.S. they are commonly found on GM, Toyota/Lexus and Honda/Acura vehicles. In Canada, they have been mandatory on all vehicles sold new in that country since December 1989. In the EU, they have been mandatory on all new passenger vehicles since February 2011, and trucks & buses since August 2012. In Europe they must be a dedicated lamp, specifically for the purpose of a DRL. In North America they may be a dedicated lamp, or repurpose an existing front lamp such as a parking lamp or fog light. Most often they illuminate the headlamps (usually the high beam bulbs, but in a dimmed state). In all cases, they aren't to be confused with "automatic headlamps*". The vehicle's other exterior lights typically aren't lit with the DRLs, and the DRLs aren't intended to illuminate the road for the benefit of its own driver. However, they do cast light on the road ahead and therefore can fool the driver into believing that all their exterior lights are turned on.

* "Automatic headlamps" are another increasingly common feature that does fully illuminate the vehicle's exterior lights, either via an ambient light sensor or simply whenever the vehicle is on.

Chances are if you're renting a car in Canada or Europe, it has EL gauges and almost certainly has DRLs. Maybe your own vehicle is so equipped. If you're unsure how your vehicle is equipped or how it functions, check your owner's manual or simply start the car and do a walk-around to check what lamps are lit and what aren't.