Going to France next week

I *think* I need a spare bulb kit, warning triangle and first aid kit (in the passenger compartment, not the boot I believe).

Is there anything else?

Also – my car has xenon lights – as they self level do they still need a beam deflector? (ie, do xenon lights still pool light to the kerbside like halogen lights)?

Cheers

I didn’t think you could use Xenon lights in france? Could be wrong…

A high vis vest for each passenger accessible from within the car. Yes you still need beam deflectors for any lights.

beam deflectors dont work on the outside of a xenon lens as the directional control of the lens is within the reflector, not on the glass.
Your lamps legally must align kerbside and the only way xenons can do this is by being re-aligned at the garage… mucho ££££

when added to the fact they blind other oncoming road users on poorly lit roads even when aligned correctly, people seem to happily drive around with one failed these days and fix at MOT as their costly to repair i reckon that Xenon lamps are a backwards step in road safety.

My last car had xenons and there was a lever behind each that adjusted their beam for euro-driving. Check the manual?

I didn’t think you could use Xenon lights in france? Could be wrong…

So how do I drive in France then?????

Sounds like I need to investigate further…

Filters here that claim to work with Xenon head lights.

http://www.travelspot.co.uk/faq.html

Some posher cars know when they’re abroad and adjust the lights themselves. So check your manual, IIRC your car is new and quite posh.

Also – my car has xenon lights – as they self level do they still need a beam deflector? (ie, do xenon lights still pool light to the kerbside like halogen lights)?

i believe part of the beam illuminates the kerb and upwards for UK – have a renault espace and inside the lamp housing is a small lever – without looking can’t remember which way but depressing the lever removes the UK kerb illumination – a 2 minute job with small hands once you’ve found it

manual doesn’t have it in but found on internet ok worth a google

– i’m sure the main dealer rate for doing this would confirm my worst fears about some business ethics

i reckon that Xenon lamps are a backwards step in road safety.

just read that bit – very true from cyclist point of view – make it much harder to pick out cyclists in a line of traffic – good for fast driving – no good for what most cars are used for

Don’t forget your personal breathalyser as well our you will get fined £9!

I used the set Drac links last year for a fortnight, including 2 over night drives, and was not flashed by other drivers once. On other occasions I’ve known immediately if one is not aligned correctly or has fallen off as other drivers start flashing their lights at me.

I haver driven through France in four different cars over the last 8 years, all with Xenon lights. Two had levers by the lights – one I changed with a button on the Dash, and the last one I used Beam deflectors.

Never been flashed by any of them – in fact the only French Police I saw were those sat at the side of the motorway collecting the “ski tax tolls” for the Brits who seem to think that you can drive at 95mph + through France legally.

Larger vehicles (big motorhomes and lorries) need two triangles.

I think there’s some embelishment of the truth so far.

try this

Don’t forget your personal breathalyser as well our you will get fined £9!

Starts in July that one.

I plan to drive in France in April…. presumably if I only drive during daylight hours then the whole light thing wont be relevant ??

Do you know if you need a GB sticker if you have Euro Flags on your number plate ?

Don’t forget your personal breathalyser as well our you will get fined £9!

That isn’t a law – it is just a proposal (or so I believe).

Checked in the manual and with the dealer and I can’t alter the beam (you can in A4s and A5s but not A6s – useful). So it is diffusers then.

Thanks for that Drac 🙂

Do you know if you need a GB sticker if you have Euro Flags on your number plate ?

Good question. Anyone?

And WTF is this proposed law about carrying a breathalyser? Seriously? That is the most stupid law I’ve ever heard.

If you have GB stickers on your number plate you are fine.

It may depend where you are driving, but whilst the French have many laws, being French no-one takes any notice of them.

To have everything in your car checked, you first need to be stopped – They will only stop you if you drive like a twit. Drive sensibly and you will be fine.

On the motorway to Reims last weekend, probably 90% of the cars were British, I bet most of them didn’t have enough safety jackets etc in the car, but I didn’t see anyone being stopped

number plate thing is sufficient instead of GB plates.

Another good tip is to have the hi-vis visble from the outside of the car, it’s an easy way for the police to see that you’re carrying them, making a stop check for everything else less likely…

I will be driving very carefully. I love driving but I am a very nervous driver when abroad – always afraid I will forget what side of the road to drive on or give way incorrectly.

To have everything in your car checked, you first need to be stopped – They will only stop you if you drive like a twit. Drive sensibly and you will be fine.

+1
In all my time driving in France and Spain not once was I asked to show either hi-viz or bulbs or anything else that the Brits seem to be pre occupied with. Plenty of Spaniards driving around with some or all of the lights not working, this would include the Guardia Civil, and nothing is really done.

Driven loads all over Europe, never been stopped once, never bothered with Light adjusters / diffusers, just dipped the beams a bit with the height adjusters. From what I’ve seen many people don’t even bother with GB stickers (without Euro number plates).

To have everything in your car checked, you first need to be stopped – They will only stop you if you drive like a twit. Drive sensibly and you will be fine.

+1 , but if you break down at the side of the road and your not wearing high viz / aren’t using a triangle and Le Old Bill happen to pass, you could be in trouble.

From driving in France myself, people do seem wear high viz / use triangles when broken down, so you’ll stick out like a sore thumb if you don’t use them.

From my last experience of Le Plod I am not taking any risks. Walking across a train line to get to the beach, just like loads of people around us. Plod asks to see our passports (which we had as we were travelling on an Interail pass so needed them at all times).

Gave him them then he said (imagine a French accent now) ‘You need to pay a xxxx Franc fine for crossing the railway line and you aren’t getting your passports back until you pay. He then held my partner as security and I had to go find the money (I think it was about £30 each and that was back in 1990).

No doubt it went straight into his back pocket but as he had our passports I didn’t think there was much else I could do (at least not as a very green 23 yr old independent traveling in Europe).

Driven loads all over Europe, never been stopped once, never bothered with Light adjusters / diffusers, just dipped the beams a bit with the height adjusters. From what I’ve seen many people don’t even bother with GB stickers (without Euro number plates).

I don’t even bother with a triangle, spare bulbs and a shiny vest.

In November I was near Nice at the same time as the G20, there were cops everywhere and I got stopped about 5 times for document checks. Not once did they bother about all the other stuff.