UK: headlight converters needed?
 

Hi, we are taking our car from the mainland to the UK in July. I've read about headlight converters that can be stuck to the headlights to avoid dazzling oncoming drivers.

A lot of people are telling me not to bother, as I am not planning on driving at night. They tell me to just adjust the lamps to the lowest level when I need to switch them on (during heavy showers for instance). What do you guys think?

Legally they are required.
However we never use them and have never had a problem. We have a set we carry just in case - apparently it has been known for cars to be checked at the port and fines to be issued if you don't have them but I've never experienced that. I've been stopped and the car searched more times than I care to remember on arrival in the UK, but never had a problem about headlight converters.

Why not use them? The cost is minimal... 5 euros or so... and you just stick them on the headlight covers... it would take less time than it took to type in your question here.

mainland?

yes you need the converters as it makes the roads safe, you also need to indicate the country you car is registered in

It's a legal requirement to have them even if you never use them. And you don't know if you will use them or not, you might well find yourself driving after dark.

What would your friends (who are telling you not to bother) do if you received a fine for following their advice? Would they pay the fine for you?

And what if you dazzled an oncoming driver and caused a fatal accident? Would your friends then serve your prison sentence for you?

Laws are there for a reason, and it's foolish to ignore them.

Point taken.

Of course safety comes first. The cost (14 Euro here in Belgium) is not an issue. It's just that I hadn't heard about those things until today and therefor asked myself whether or not they were necessary/effective.

Make sure you get ones which are right for your make and model of car - there are different ones available according to the headlight design. The ferries sell them if you can't find them in Belgium, though I am sure the TCB (amongst others) also sells them.
Also remember to take them off again before returning to Belgium :).

You can probably save money by looking for them on eBay or Amazon.

I take a reel of double sided tape with me as the adhesive on the tape that is provided gets flexible due to the heat of the llights. If your lights generate heat (not LED) then you may find the things "melt off" during a long journey at night.

I'd check your car's handbook, many cars these days can be adjusted just by twiddling a screw on the back of the headlamps. I wouldn't anything on headlamps if they are high powered