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RoadForce

Member Since: 17 Jul 2014
Location: Holland
Posts: 336

2000 Defender 130 Td5 HCPU Coniston Green

Regular EU familiy car: dip the headlights enough?

Only a couple of days before the Roadforce family sets out to the UK for the summer holidays!

We won't be taking the landy, but our family estate (Volvo V70). I remember from (quite) some time ago that UK cars in EU would have stickers covering parts of their headlights to avoid blinding oncoming traffic. Now that I will be driving my LHD car on the wrong side of the road (

), do I have to do that? Or is simply "dipping" my headlights enough?

With this, I mean adjusting the beams so they drop down, a feature normally used when carrying heavy loads in the back of the car. I have this button on my dash that gives me manual control over this.

I don't want to be the annoying Dutch car on the UK roads, but on the other hand: if this does the job, then why should I bother with any other solution? Regulations perhaps (so am I risking a fine if I don't mask off my headlights?) Defender 130 HCPU Td5 MY2000

8th Jul 2019 7:22pm

tookaphotoof

Member Since: 18 Mar 2013
Location: dordrecht
Posts: 1279

2013 Defender 130 Puma 2.2 HCPU Santorini Black

Have a look in your manual. You can change something at your headlight if I remember correctly.
Had a V70 (2016) myself.

8th Jul 2019 7:47pm

Bluest

Member Since: 23 Apr 2016
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 4216

2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Java Black

I worked on the roads dealing with traffic for over a decade and don't ever recall seeing a non UK vehicle using the beam benders or other stick on masks. It was something I actually noticed at the time and thought it odd. I go abroad regularly and always adaptedmy own lights for the continent. Well,.not anymore as I have Truck lights with a flat beam pattern

Assuming your lights have kick up, you should mask it off, but I think very few do and even less are picked up for it. 2007 110 TDCi Station Wagon XS

8th Jul 2019 7:57pm

RoadForce

Member Since: 17 Jul 2014
Location: Holland
Posts: 336

Thanks for the suggestions. Mine is a model year 2000, so perhaps not as fancy as the 2016 model that has a provision for adjusting the lights. I will have a look at the manual though, just to be sure! Defender 130 HCPU Td5 MY2000

8th Jul 2019 7:59pm

Retroanaconda

Member Since: 04 Jan 2012
Location: Scotland
Posts: 2656

bothers, and the old bill don’t enforce it. Of course if I dared to do the same I’d be pulled over within 100yds of the ferry.

8th Jul 2019 8:31pm

tookaphotoof

Member Since: 18 Mar 2013
Location: dordrecht
Posts: 1279

Bluest wrote:
I worked on the roads dealing with traffic for over a decade and don't ever recall seeing a non UK vehicle using the beam benders or other stick on masks. It was something I actually noticed at the time and thought it odd. I go abroad regularly and always adaptedmy own lights for the continent. Well,.not anymore as I have Truck lights with a flat beam pattern

Assuming your lights have kick up, you should mask it off, but I think very few do and even less are picked up for it.

In that case I assume you don't have xenon lights? No need for the manual, it's sticker time!

8th Jul 2019 8:42pm

Thon

Member Since: 22 Nov 2015
Location: Salisbury Plain
Posts: 696

Re: Regular EU familiy car: dip the headlights enough?

RoadForce wrote:
We won't be taking the landy, but our family estate (Volvo V70). I remember from (quite) some time ago that UK cars in EU would have stickers covering parts of their headlights to avoid blinding oncoming traffic. Now that I will be driving my LHD car on the wrong side of the road (), do I have to do that? Or is simply "dipping" my headlights enough

Dipping your lights is insufficient. Please cover or alter them - it's the decent thing to do

8th Jul 2019 10:18pm

RoadForce

Member Since: 17 Jul 2014
Location: Holland
Posts: 336

Thanks for the feedback. What I forgot to mention, is that I don't expect to be driving at night. We will leave end of this week, and with the long days this time of year and small children, I am pretty sure we'll be back in our holiday home before dark. Defender 130 HCPU Td5 MY2000

10th Jul 2019 9:05am

Procta

Member Since: 03 Dec 2016
Location: Sunderland
Posts: 5183

what you can do, if you are over in the uk, is buy a set of UK lights from a breaker, and just swop those over, My cousin used to do the same thing with his cars, just buy the left hand drive lights in Germany. Defender TD5 90 ---/--- Peugeot 306 HDI hatch back

Success is 90% Inspiration and 4 minutes Preparation # you can make it!

15th Jul 2019 8:05pm

MartinK

Member Since: 02 Mar 2011
Location: Silverdale (Lancashire/Cumbria Border)
Posts: 2665

2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Orkney Grey

If you do follow Procta's advice, it's super-easy on a V70/XC70, just the two "blades" and a plug.

I use a bit of black tape cut to size, remember the "cut off" is the opposite way as it's a reflector...

Best to do it, it's more considerate to other road users...

You can see it on my motorbike headlight here

Click image to enlarge Defender "Puma" 2.4 110 County Utility (possibly the last of the 2.4's)

16th Jul 2019 7:15am

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