Driving in France...

[thehype]

Hi all,

Driving to Le Mans for the first time this year - sure it's been discussed many a time before but can anyone clarify what I need to carry in and/or stick onto my car to drive in France? Specifically thinking about headlight deflectors & GB sticker (my number plate doesn't carry the EU stars).

Thanks in advance.

[fordyx]

thehype said:

Hi all,

Driving to Le Mans for the first time this year - sure it's been discussed many a time before but can anyone clarify what I need to carry in and/or stick onto my car to drive in France? Specifically thinking about headlight deflectors & GB sticker (my number plate doesn't carry the EU stars).

Thanks in advance.

GB Sticker, fluro jacket for each person in car in case of breakdown (can someone confirm that it is actually or still is ALL occupants of the vehicle that need a jacket / bib?), triangle, beam converters if you intend to drive at night, i'm sure you're supposed to have a spare set of bulbs, but i always have them anyway, so not sure if its mandatory or not

[Truckosaurus]

It's a safety vest each and it has to be inside the cabin so you can put it on before exiting the car. You can get them for a couple of quid each from eBay.

[-Lummox-]

fordyx said:

GB Sticker, fluro jacket for each person in car in case of breakdown (can someone confirm that it is actually or still is ALL occupants of the vehicle that need a jacket / bib?), triangle, beam converters if you intend to drive at night, i'm sure you're supposed to have a spare set of bulbs, but i always have them anyway, so not sure if its mandatory or not

Pretty sure a spare bulb set is mandatory. Expensive if your car has HIDs!

[muppetdave]

Yup spare bulb set is mandatory.

Have to admit that we were all of the opinion that only the driver required a hi-vis (and it had to be in the cabin), so stand corrected!

[PaulHogan]

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/touring_tips/...

[will_]

I don't think spare bulbs are compulsory, but if you have a bulb out le rozzers won't let you go until it's fixed, so it's better to carry spares just in case.

[Cooky]

These are also Manditory



Frenchie simply insists upon waving at us

[NormanD]

will_ said:

I don't think spare bulbs are compulsory, but if you have a bulb out le rozzers won't let you go until it's fixed, so it's better to carry spares just in case.

Correct but

Have you tried changing a bulb at the roadside on modern cars

[will_]

NormanD said:

will_ said:

I don't think spare bulbs are compulsory, but if you have a bulb out le rozzers won't let you go until it's fixed, so it's better to carry spares just in case.

Correct but

Have you tried changing a bulb at the roadside on modern cars

I'm not sure even the breakdown people carry all possible spare bulbs though!

[fordyx]

NormanD said:

Correct but

Have you tried changing a bulb at the roadside on modern cars

Thats a good flipping point, glad i'm not driving a Mk4 Golf or a Renault Megane down then - now that would be fun at the roadside changing their headlamp bulbs

[Camberwell]

............and if you ask the average French driver if they carry all that stuff in their cars you would get a shrug

[FredericRobinson]

You'd get the same answer from the majority of Brits heading to Le Mans!

[leyorkie]

As far as I know the law is vest for driver only It is advisable for all passengers but not compulsary. It is not checked at MOT time neither the bulb kit or triangle.
When buying a new car in France it has to have the mandatory items supplied.
Never been asked for any of these items but I am driving a LHD French reg car so probably not in the frame for Le Mans weekend traffic police.

[thehype]

Thanks all. Well I think I've got all that anyway - and surely I won't need a GB sticker with these on either door...

http://www.hollographics.com/acatalog/raf.gif

[icepop]

Camberwell said:

............and if you ask the average French driver if they carry all that stuff in their cars you would get a shrug

Don't get me going on that subject.

Last French driver I saw, going past Lancaster, the passenger had both feet up on the dashboard, no seatbelt, and better than that the driver had his left foot up on the 'board also. Both smoking, but they were definitely not speeding. It gets me a tad annoyed when we hear of all these cases of "Le Roast Beef" getting their cars impounded during Le Mans week for speeding. No excuses, they deserve it, for the silly speeds they are reported of doing. But when they talk about them being impounded, held for months on end, the owners having to return for court cases, and threatened with crushing them, so OK lets impound the froggies cars/trucks, and start crushing them for their cr*p driving standards that they bring them into the UK.

The French openly admit to use Le Mans week to generate revenue, so lets reciprocate, they come over here to see our wonderful countryside, lets take advantage, just like they do. Lets see how many of their death traps carry bulbs, triangles, jackets, extingushers. Anti French, no.....well maybe a litle bit, but fed up of having to comply, to their standards, when they don't really have any standards, other than as mentioned, a gallic shrug of the shoulders.

Edited by icepop on Tuesday 12th April 23:05

[rdjohn]

Don't waste money on headlamp converters. They are not even available for when LHD cars visits the UK. All headlight lenses have to be EU type-approved.

If you have beam adjusters, perhaps it is kinder to drop their level a notch, so as not to blind oncoming drivers.

[turbo-ww]

will_ said:

NormanD said:

will_ said:

I don't think spare bulbs are compulsory, but if you have a bulb out le rozzers won't let you go until it's fixed, so it's better to carry spares just in case.

Correct but

Have you tried changing a bulb at the roadside on modern cars

I'm not sure even the breakdown people carry all possible spare bulbs though!

It's not the bulbs, it's the laptop that you need to make the bulb talk to the car









(No, I'm not joking.....)

[deveng]

rdjohn said:

Don't waste money on headlamp converters. They are not even available for when LHD cars visits the UK. All headlight lenses have to be EU type-approved.

If you have beam adjusters, perhaps it is kinder to drop their level a notch, so as not to blind oncoming drivers.

Maybe not, but the french police have a big history with Brits.

As far as I'm concerned, I'm in their country and I just don't want any trouble, so stick religiously to their motoring laws.

[rdjohn]

deveng said:

Maybe not, but the french police have a big history with Brits.

As far as I'm concerned, I'm in their country and I just don't want any trouble, so stick religiously to their motoring laws.

That is the point; the Police are bound by EU type-approval rules drawn-up around the freedom of movement for people, goods and services.

The EU outlawed the yellow lamps of older French cars and so now everyone is required to show white throughout the EU. The amount of glare is covered in the manufacture, not the LHD and RHD versions of the lens.

They are just a nice little earner for Halfords and their ilk. UK truckers don't use them, they are not compulsory.