Audi A3 Sportback - Driving in the Netherlands

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Mon 12 Mar 2012 22:55
Audi A3 Sportback - Driving in the Netherlands - swanny2012
I have just taken delivery of a new A3 and I'm now booked up to take my new car to Holland.
I understand that I need to use headlight deflectors if I use my dipped headlights, however I plan not to do any night driving as at is my first venture into driving in Europe.
I have two questions with regard to this. As my new car is fitted with LED DRL's, this will cover me for lights during the day if visibility is good. So if I am not going to use my dipped beams do I still need to fit headlight deflectors, or can I just have them in the car to be fitted if I do need to use my dipped beams?
Also, will the headlight deflectors work with the xenon headlights (not the adaptive ones) on the A3?
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Mon 12 Mar 2012 23:49
Audi A3 Sportback - Driving in the Netherlands - Bilboman

In my experience it's only in France that the police seem to check headlamp beams and even then it's a question of really bad luck to get caught. There are occasional checks at borders, and les flics theoretically can carry out on the spot checks for things like Hi-Vis jackets, insurance documents, GB stickers or EU-style registration plates, etc. The Dutch police are nowhere near as ruthless in this respect. On the spot fines are possible but nowhere near as common as in France.

You say that you are not planning to drive at night, but why not just fit the beam deflectors anyway? You may drive after dark; you may encounter banks of fog and it may rain (it does rain in Holland!) and driving along dazzling every other driver you pass on the road is not exactly courteous.

A couple of useful websites: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/europe/netherlands

http://www.motoring-into-europe.co.uk/halfords/faq.html (All Audi A3 models are covered according to the link at Question 10)

Goede reis!

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