Headlight Converters for driving in Europe

Kentboys

As our username suggests, we live in Kent and travel to Europe quite a lot on daytrips. We usually get the ferry tickets last minute at knock down prices but always end up paying a lot for headlight converters (which you legally need to have on your car whilst driving in France and Belgium).
The only place that seems to sell them is Halfords but they charge between £8 and £12, which seems a lot for a couple of stickers you throw away on the ferry back. We've tried pound shops etc but Halfords seem to have a monopoly.
The check out lady at Halfords told us on the sly that you can just put a bit of masking tape on your headlights but not sure how this would work and not sure this would go down well with the gendarmes! Amazon sell them for £5-£6 but with postage and its not always practical to buy online if you're travelling last minute.

Anyone know a cheaper way of buying them? We travel about 10 times a year and we worked out thats literally £100 in the bin!!

Thanks

mikey72

The best way is to buy a set of headlight protectors for your car, then stick a set to them. Use them abroad, then take them off when you get back.
Having said that, I normally stick a piece of masking tape somewhere in the right area, by looking at the beam pattern in the dark, and blanking off the bit to the left. So long as there is something on the light though, you usually won't be stopped.
What car is it?
Headlight protectors are better, newer cars with the plastic lenses craze slightly behind the tape after a while, as the tape gets hotter than the rest of the lense. Not really a problem though, unless it gets very bad.

phwoggy

Would double sided sticky tape on your used ones work?

LillythePink

We have been to france loads of times in the car and rightly or wrongly, have never ever put deflectors on our headlights and have never been stopped for it (have been stopped for speeding a few times, so have had contact with police and they have never said anything)

Rightly or wrongly again, but whenever have you seen a french/european car with them on when they drive in the UK??

Kentboys

It's a new Kia Picanto...yeah I know Having said that it's taken us to Germany and back more than once.

Perhaps I should point out too that last time we were in France just before Christmas the Gendarmes were doing spot checks and pulling people over - you're now meant to carry a red triangle and a warning vest and if you don't a spot fine - easy money as British cars stand out like sore thumbs and most Brits think you don't need this stuff if you're just there for the day or passing through to Belgium. I think your insurance is also invalidated if you have an accident whilst driving at night and you don't have the headlight adapters on.

Might try the sellotape option again but I get really paranoid they'll fall off or I'll get stopped by the police! lol

mikey72

Buy a roll of masking tape. It takes ages to fall off. Use the old converters as a template. You'll need to clean it with meths or white spirit to get the glue off when you get home though. It's all I ever put on.

SailorSam

Buy them cheaper at Amazon.
Buy headlight deflectors | Compare prices for headlight deflectors on Kelkoo

MX5huggy

Surprisingly they are cheaper at AA in the Euro Tunnel Terminal than Halfrauds. I would be reusing them, or go to a frence Kia dealer and buy a pair of french headlights just swap them on the ferry.

Gloomendoom

mikey72 wrote: »

Buy a roll of masking tape. It takes ages to fall off. Use the old converters as a template. You'll need to clean it with meths or white spirit to get the glue off when you get home though. It's all I ever put on.

Ordinary duct tape works just as well, looks professional... and it's a damned sight easier to get off!

Only £3.60 for 50m and it will make about 500 pairs.

Oldernotwiser

Don't throw away the converters on the way back and keep the plastic that you peal them away from. With a little care and some cling film around them in the glove compartment you can reuse converters many times.

Inactive

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Don't throw away the converters on the way back and keep the plastic that you peal them away from. With a little care and some cling film around them in the glove compartment you can reuse converters many times.

That is the best option, it is throwing money away to just use them once.