I wasn't arguing that because foreigners don't mask their lights over here we shouldn't over there! I was stating, as a fact, that I have never seen a continental registered car or lorry over here, with masked up headlights.
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we might be a bit too relaxed tonight Armitage.....;)
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and Wilko also sell bulb kits H1 / H4 - £3.99.
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The only time I have driven in Europe in a RHD car was at least 6 years ago with a Passat (2000 W reg) which I did look into. It had projector type lights but the dealer told my they could not be "switched" (which I still think was wrong) but got a kit from Halfords and "worked it out".
No problem when there and took them off when home. Journey from home and back in dalylight so fitted/removed before I got there.
Maybe I won't go again but now have Xenons on the Mazda6... there must be a switch. And there probably was on the Passat too.
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Reason I posted this was that I heard an interview on local radio saying that French Police do spot checks and that you must have the triangle, reflective jacket, deflectors, spare bulb, vehicle registration document and photo licence or normal licence and passport. The penalty for having any of these missing is a 700 Euro fine.
Apparently the French Police in particular are cracking down on British motorists.
Edited by Pugugly on 21/04/2008 at 00:36
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I can only go by the AA advice. (Link above)
Compulsory are
Reg documents
Insurance
Driving Licence/Passport
deflectors/beam adjustment
GB sticker or number plate with GB on it.
Other things are recommended by AA (eg, You MUST have either warning flashers or triangle, so if flashers are damaged in an accident then you will need a triangle)
"Apparently the French Police in particular are cracking down on British motorists"
As I said above - have been to or through France virtually every year for 40 years and several times a year recently. Been stopped once - two years ago by a trainee young woman Gendarme who thought we were French (our Cit Xantia car). As soon as she realised we were English she apologised profusely and waved us on.
Don't worry about it - just go and enjoy it - driving a much more pleasant experience than in UK
Edited by PhilW on 21/04/2008 at 01:06
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Agree with Philw, My experiences have been very similar. Re the headlights, the Punto has a diagram in the instruction book showing where to stick the tape, might be worth a look?
First trip abroad can become psychologically like preparing for the the first manned trip to Mars! ;)
Hope you have a good trip.
Regards
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"never seen a continental registered car or lorry over here, with masked up headlights"
That`s because European vehicles don`t have an asymmetrical dip beam and so there is no correction required.
Regards
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I just bough everything when I first went abroad many years ago and have kept them ever since - the only bulb which is sometimes not transferable between cars is the Headlight one - all the rest are ok... and its reasuring to know that if I do breakdown in the UK I can make my car and myself more visible or even make repairs...
As its less than £20 in total, I can't understand the fuss!
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Watch what you stick onto plastic headlamp covers.....glue can be difficult to get off if you go down the "el cheapo" route.
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Gaffer tape and white spirits fine, just a few seconds to clean.
Edited by oilrag on 21/04/2008 at 09:01
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"European vehicles don`t have an asymmetrical dip beam and so there is no correction required." I beg to differ, oilrag! LHD cars have asymmetrical dip beams but the beam is angled up to the right, i.e. a mirror image of RHD cars. Therefore an unmasked dipped beam will cause dazzle, both for LHD cars in RHD countries and vice versa.
Ths simplest solution is first to fit a set of clear clip-on covers (Do a search for : Formula4 seem to stock a wide range) and then apply the masking tape onto the cover itself.
Incidentally, under EU law, car manufacturers are obliged to supply drivers with the means to mask the beam when driving abroad on the other side of the road, whether it's a switching mechanism or set of stickers.
It is essential to carry the V5 or authorisation from leasing company etc., as continental garages will often refuse to service or repair a car if you can't prove you're the owner or registered keeper. Unlike the UK, MOT, insurance and licence have to be carried at all times.
And remember that legendary spare clutch cable!
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Just drive on the A2 or A20 at night;you'll see plenty of undeflected LHD h/lights-right in your face.
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Met up in France last year with SWMBO who brought the car from the UK. After a week's pleasant motoring we were stopped in one of those Sunday afternoon routine checks. From PhilW's list we only had the passport since all the other documents had been taken out of the car to renew the tax at the PO the week before. Having made a show of saying they should have been in the secure box under the seat and apologising for losing them somewhere in the car, I remembered my international driving permit in my jacket which delighted the main gendarme who explained to his young lady trainee what it was and how everything was 'Absolutely fine, Monsieur'. Fortunately, we were a long way from Calais area, I do speak French and am always very polite when stopped by people carrying guns. And don't worry about getting the beam deflectors off, they are usually gone by the time we get to the first overnight stop so I have moved to the tape for the last year or so.
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I read somewhere that reflective jackets will be a compulsory carry item in France from July 2008.
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What I don't understand with this thread is that people will be spending at least a thousand pounds in fuel, tickets, tolls and rental of their chosen holiday home and they can't be bothered to spend twenty quid on a kit to help protect them if things go wrong.....
Mad, or what?!
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It seems pretty rude to go to another country and decide to ignore their laws. It's not like they're particularly onerous.
The last time that I used the hovercraft to go to France the police had set up a checkpoint and were checking every single car coming into France. Lots of people got fined.
Equally, all these things, whilst not compulsory, are things you should be carrying in the UK (beam deflectors excluded).
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What I don't understand with this thread is that people will be spending at least a thousand pounds in fuel tickets tolls and rental of their chosen holiday home and they can't be bothered to spend twenty quid on a kit to help protect them if things go wrong.....
Hardly £20 when a spare HID bulb can cost £70 - double (treble?) that if you want a genuine Merc or BMW replacement.
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"under EU law, car manufacturers are obliged to supply drivers with the means to mask the beam when driving abroad on the other side of the road, whether it's a switching mechanism or set of stickers"
Which law is that? I hope I can quote it to both Isuzu Sweden and Isuzu UK, as when I asked them about this they could offer me nothing, apart from a new set of headlamps. I've only got 35 minutes on the channel tunnel - do you think that's long enough to swap the headlamps and get the beams adjusted properly? I can't seem to find headlamp protectors here, and beam deflector stickers are non-existent, and obviously there's no diagram for how to fix tape correctly. So if you see a D-Max coming up the M20 with headlights on during the day (DLR that can't be turned off) and a couple of bits of tape randomly stuck on the lenses, and they're a bit bright, don't blame me, blame Isuzu.
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Hardly £20 when a spare HID bulb can cost £70 - double (treble?) that if you want a genuine Merc or BMW replacement.
Most cars still run with headlight bulbs which are a fiver.... anyhow the rest of the kit can be obtained for less than twnty quid and is safety stuff - so get evrything but the bulb, then!
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Ford workshop manuals show which parts of headlights need to be obscured.
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Headlamp `converters` from Fiat are approx £40. The Sea France Ferry I booked this week is £44 return.
Nice diagram in the handbook though where Fiat seem to assume you would use tape ;)
I have all the other kit and might invest £4 inclusive on two reflective vests.
Edited by oilrag on 25/04/2008 at 10:11
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Only ever been stopped in France once, by Duane (French Customs) on a roundabout just north of Pons. On Mid blue BMW motorbikes, on the roundabout, saw Red UK reg TR7 V8 with 2 people in it & pulled us over, threw his teddy out of the cot because I didn't park EXACTLY where he wanted, (low slung car & big kerbs). Looked in boot which was packed full & wanted to see just V5 for car & our passports. Just waved us on our way after that. I've subsequently been told that the route we were on is a common smugglers route from Spain.
Otherwise always carry, triangle, bulb set & all docs for the car & me. Have recently started carrying a high vis jacket as well. Headlight deflectors are fitted althugh didin't seem to last very long on the 7 before dropping off.>> Headlamp `converters` from Fiat are approx £40. The Sea France Ferry I booked this week
Edited by tr7v8 on 25/04/2008 at 10:50
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Last year Tesco were selling a kit comprising a complete set of bulbs, headlamp deflectors and a GB sticker for around £8.00.
The deflectors came with comprehensive instructions for most makes and models of cars showing where to fit the stickers on the plain outer glass of the lamp to get the desired effect. What's more they stayed in place for the whole trip, some 2,000 miles around France.
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Can anyone tell/show me which parts of headlights need to be obscured on a 2003.5my zafira? TIA
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Is there a diagram in your handbook?
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what do the plod in france or anywhere in europe do if you hav'nt got the deflectors fitted or the correct amount of spare bulbs? impound you ? or give you a ticket?
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Don't forget your first aid kit and a fire extinguisher in addition to the above.Both compulsory I believe.
I wrap my small extinguisher in the fluorescent jacket and stuff it in the spare wheel .
I found a small locker in the rear of my Hyundai that will take a first aid kit.
Carrying the original registration document always worries me though.
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It seems sticky tape can damage polycarbonate lights.
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"Don't forget your first aid kit and a fire extinguisher in addition to the above.Both compulsory I believe"
Both probably wise but neither are compulsory
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www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/touring_tips/aa-comp...n
2008.doc
Gives the various requirements for different countries on the 'Continent'.
Fog in the English Channel.
Europe cut off.
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Fog doesn't stop trains......
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Fog didn't stop the Titanic.
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I would be uncomfortable taking the first morning train down to London in say, 100 yards visibility fog. How do you know that 200 miles of track is free from `obstruction` for want of a better word, in the current situation? and i`m not referring to forward visibility from the drivers cab.
Edited by oilrag on 26/04/2008 at 10:14
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You need to appreciate that its not a road where everyone and his dog has access to it - so its nothing like driving a car - a railway environment is totally different - all train movements are protected by signals, points and a host of failsafe devices designed to make travelling on them as safe as possible. There is a "dead mans" device in the cab which, if not activated when sounded, will stop the train (if the driver fell ill for instance), signals have a device which activates a warning device in the cab, if not correctly reset it will apply the brakes, speed restictions are enforced - its a sackable offence to break them, and so it goes on - the signals tell the driver if the way ahead is clear and if you look at Eurostar it is all done in cab, there are no "physical" signals out on the track.... also the ultimate safety device - if the signal cables are cut or vandalised they all return to danger and all trains stop - very inconvenient, but very safe.....
Also both drivers and guards have to have "route knowledge" which means they have to know the routes they work like the back of their hand, all curves, gradients, tunnels, speed restrictions, track layouts - when driving in fog or the dark a driver will be able to tell you exactly where they are.... as a guard my route knowledge is not as detailed as the drivers but I can still tell you where I am on routes I sign even in the dark!
Granted there may be an obstruction, like a Land Rover and trailer, but they are very few and far between - I'd much rather travel to London, or anywhere else for that matter, in a train than in a car or bus - a moden train is a lot safer environment that any other form of land transport.... its interesting that people worry about a very small risk when travelling by train but quite happily go out in a car or walk down the road where the risk is much greater...
Incidentally I have heard of several people who started learning to drive trains and when they came across fog and were expected to drive at line speed they were unable to do so and had to pack up, the mindset is very different! I've been lucky enough to travel in fog at 100mph in the cab (I'm not a driver btw!) and its an "interesting" experince, to say the least!
Hope that helps! :)
Edited by b308 on 26/04/2008 at 10:37
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It does b308, thanks ;)
I see threats where there are perhaps none sometimes. Too many years doing Risk Assessments....
Regarding access though, to track through open countryside........?
Regards
Edited by oilrag on 26/04/2008 at 13:29
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All railways in this country have to be fenced off which, in theory, should keep the rabble away! However they do get on, but its invairably the motorist's fault and they tend to come off far worse than the train...
The other issue is walkers/farmers not shutting gates properly and farm animals getting onto the track - I only know of one such incident which lead to disaster, though, usually its just a lot of steakslamb chops and delays to the trains whilst they clean up the mess!
I travel tens of thousands of miles per year on trains and am still here, so don't worry!!
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OK then ;) but i`m travelling at the back..
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Just after half way down would be my suggestion....
Nearer the bar then! ;)
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I`m going out to buy cheap yellow vests tomorrow. This thread has converted me (if not the headlights;).
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I`m going out to buy cheap yellow vests tomorrow.
Pound shops or 99p shops are your best bet...
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Oilrag - even more thread drift - sorry Mods! You say you did/do Risk Assessments. Please can you tell me what the 'Risk' is in emptying a wheelie bin whose lid is 4 inches open? People are having their bins rejected or are being fined for this 'crime', by some councils!
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post removed at poster's request..PU.
Edited by Pugugly on 27/04/2008 at 17:33
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Oilrag. I have obviously offended you - I am not sure how but I apologise of course. I am aware that there must be a wide range of assessments and I imagined that you had been involved in all or many. I am sure nobody does bins only and there was no offence intended, at all; it was just a question re what is dangerous about a bin with its lid not shut? Please e mail me thru address in my profile if you feel a fuller apology/explanation is called for.
Edited by Armitage Shanks {p} on 27/04/2008 at 10:49
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No need Armitage, but thank you ;) Best if we all get back on topic I think
Regards
Edited by oilrag on 27/04/2008 at 10:57
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That AA list is a bit off, I think. ISTR that a spare pair of specs is obligatory in Spain (obviously, only if you wear them).
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Spare specs is Spain is correct GM
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what do the plod in france or anywhere in europe do if you hav'nt got the deflectors fitted or the correct amount of spare bulbs? impound you ? or give you a ticket?
AKAIK, there is no grounds to being fined for not having the spare bulbs. However, if you have a bulb out, I recall they insist you change it on the spot and could fine you if you don't have the bulb to do it.
I've no idea whether they give allowance for Xenons or cars (French ones included) that need much of the front end to be dismantled to change a bulb.
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I am sure you need a fire extinguisher as well. In fact most of these items are sensible anyway, I take tools as well of course. Black insulation tape works well.
The French police do fine drivers, including the french ones , for not having bulbs kist, even though the drivers could not possibly fit them nowadays. The law is the law, but you would have to be unlucky, no doubt you could be fined for spitting ( Defense de Cracher) but unlikely.
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I suppose, as a man who is going to Italy next week and hiring a car, the acid test is what do the car rental company supply ( apart from spare specs for Spain obviously!) I will check and report back, I am renting with Hertz.
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