Driving Abroad

[hodroyd]

I have a magnetic GB badge, does not damage and comes off easy when you need it to..!! Bulb Kit I have is maybe from the 1960's, no lamps at all would fit my car, but it's there to wave at the PC Plod..!! The breathalyser Kits, makes sure they are in date (Shelf Life) and you need ideally 3+, if you have to use one and you only have 2 to start with, you are then immediately breaking the law, crafty eh..!!

 

[drewf]

Crafty yes, but there's no fine for not having the breathalysers. I wouldn't worry about not having them - the French authorities have put the requirement on hold indefinitely. There's certainly no need to pay through the nose for them in Halfrauds or similar.

 

[hodroyd]

That's OK then, I bought a few and they were quite cheap, but they might be out of date by now, so I will just stick them in the car anyway..!!

 

[Tilum]

You don't need a GB indication on the front of the car at all. You need one on the back, either on the reg plate or a separate sticker/magnetic patch.

You do need a spare bulb kit - why do you think it's not still a requirement? I can't see the French ever removing that requirement... Read what I wrote though - the point of having the bulb kit is NOT to be able to fit it to the car there and then; any old kit will do, provided it is complete. There's no way I would change a lamp on a modern Maserati by the roadside, and no way any Gendarme will wait to watch it being done either.

Thanks Drew,
I read your previous post about the spare bulb kit...

Don't forget - the spare bulb kit doesn't really have to match the car. That's not the point of having it... It's main use is to wave at the nice policeman, who will then go away and leave you to fix the lamp. Try fixing a QP headlamp by the side of the road, and the futility of having the correct spare bulb will become obvious. Just buy the cheapest set from Aldi, do not open it, and throw it in the boot.

But I was looking at AA's website (link)and according to the chart and the accompanying notes, a spare bulb kit no longer seems to be a requirement (except in Croatia - ref. note 11). Maybe it's wrong(?) Maybe it's right, in which case maybe it's due to LED lighting, sealed headlamp units on modern cars? Afterall, a spare bulb isn't really a spare bulb if it can't actually be fitted to the car.
But maybe, as with the breathalysers kits, it's just easier to have a spare bulb kit (even if it is for a completely different car and won't fit your own car!) to show to the police should you get stopped.