Getting ready for driving in France in a Pug!

[simonineaston]

Hi Folks, I hope you'll let me off asking this Q on the wrong forum - I've tried the AngloInfo lot and a pukka Pug forum but got no response on either and I know what a helpful bunch you guys are!
I'm off to Brittany at the w/e in my chum's shiny new-ish 206... (not in my BX, which is waiting patiently for me to find the time to take the head off, as discussed on this very forum!)
She's asked me to do the blokey thing and look after getting it sorted for France and I reached for my trusty reel of insulating tape to mask up the Pug's headlights before I noticed that they're very teardrop shaped and don't have any of the ridges that they used to cast in the glass to show you where to stick the tape!
Can I mask up this type of h'lamp with tape or should we splash out on a tenners worth of fancy deflectors from Halfords?

[jeremy]

Bit modern for us isn't it?

[stuart_hedges]

Last time I went abroad - last week - I bought £6.99 deflectors from the petrol station in Dover.

I think they're overpriced, but I also think it would be very inconvenient to be pulled over by a traffic cop abroad. 6.99 isn't much to spend on peace of mind.

I hope you have a warning triangle, spare bulbs etc etc.

[adamskibx]

Im going over to France in the CX on the 16th too. I called the insurance to check im covered, and will take the following: Triangle of warnings, tape or refractor thingys, bukb kit and tools. Im told that you need a mini road cone, fire extinguisher and florecent jacket too, so that you can be seen in an emergency.... but ive got no room for a road cone and I'm not going to bother with these items.

[Jaba]

I live in France and drive there for 4 months every year - and around europe too and have done so for years. I have never put those headlamp converter things on the lights.
I don't think it is necessary. Any extra dazzle is absolutely minimal and not worth bothering about. French motorists would not notice it and it is not illegal to use RHD headlights in LHD countries. Don't worry about it the traffic cops are simply completely unaware of the difference.

How many Euro LHD registered cars have you seen here with headlight deflectors fitted.

I rest my case.

[docchevron]

I have a set of LHD headlamps courtesy of Bandit I use when I take the car abroad.

As for the 206, I know cause I've seen it that Pug do a laminate paper guide that you place on the headlamp with a cut out in it, thats where you stick the tape! As for where to get one these days???? No idea, but I guess the main stealer might let you borrow one for 5 minutes.

If not, pop into Bristol 2CV's and ask manny, he's bound to know, just dont tell him I sent you, or he'll tell you to f$%k off!

[simonineaston]

Thanks for your comments folks - good point about not seeing LHD drive cars over here with any changes made to their h'lamps - p'haps our traffic cops are just more lenient than their French counterpart... anyway I've got all me bits and bobs packed, including all those suggested here - with the exception of the traffic cone that is !
Have indeed spoken to the good fellows at Bristol2cv, with a view to getting the BX thru' its MOT soon after I get back from France.

[mnde]

Im told that you need a mini road cone, fire extinguisher and florecent jacket too, so that you can be seen in an emergency.... but ive got no room for a road cone and I'm not going to bother with these items.

That's a new one on me. I thought for France you just needed a triangle, headlamp stickers, GB plate & spare bulbs Has there been a rule change recently?

Mark.

[adamskibx]

Umm. It could be a mate having me on. Ill probe him for the truth later lol.

[simonineaston]

All these traffic reg.s are a bloomin' nightmare to get 100% right - for example, my French chums tell me that that the law to do with the warning trangle says that your car should be "equipped with a device to warn other road users in the event of an emergency or breakdown", so any modern car with hazard warning lights doesn't need to have a warning triangle in it all... apart from a common-sense point of view. Having said that, I can't remember actually ever having seen a traffic policeman in the area of Brittany where we're going
The folks I'm going to stay with did get stopped once and were given a hard time for not having a GB sticker - at least, that's what they think they were being ticked off for !

[Vanny]

you do need;

• a warning triangle (need a warning device that can be placed 100yds back from the car on roads over a certain speed limit, i think 50kph, so a cone would do, some euro countries possibly spain require TWO warning triangles, but you can pickup good michelin ones that fold up real small in IMARCHEU for about £3)
• fire extinguisher (should be in the cabin or a sticker proclaiming to it being in the boot, you legally have to use it on any vehicle fire you see (not just your own) its part of some good samaritan road law thingy)
• spare bulbs (technically this isn't law, but the fines for having a blown bulb are large and on the spot, they give you the chance to change them if you hve em in the car though)
• high vis jacket for EVERY person travelling in the car (makes sence really if you get out the car and stand on the hard shoulder)

things you don't need

• GB sticker (that is assuming you have euro style number plates)
• passport (you can now travel anywhere in europe on your photo driving license, and i'm sat in roterdam without my passport )
• light deflectors (i'd be damned if i'm paying for them, it did put duct tape on on my last trip and was told while driving that i didn't need them as it wasn't law, and they made minimal difference, only reduced the useable light output in most cases)

this from asking around everywhere and putting it into practise! Be careful with scanners/gps devices. Laser scanners and other camera detection is banned in france, and trying to explain in english that its a GPS device plugged into a laptop and not a scanner is a little difficult. They simply take the device and issue a fine!