Adjusting headlamps for driving abroad ?

You seem to be unaware of the dipped headlight problem, so here is an explanation. Apologies if I have over done the explanation but this way I can be sure you will understand.

I have driven in the US on a number of occasions but I cannot remember whether your headlights dip straight down or towards the kerb (verge?, road edge?, roadside?). As you will see elsewhere in this thread, in the UK where we drive on the left they dip down and to the left to illuminate the kerb and in continental Europe where driving is on the right the lights dip down and to the right for the same purpose. Hence a left hand drive car needs deflectors to prevent the right dipping beam being a nuisance to oncoming drivers in the UK and vice versa when we in the UK go to the continent.

I'm not aware that they dip to the right. Just straight down.

Hi,

Eeeer indeed, they use to set the right light a bit higher than the left right, to improve the enlightened distance and the ditches. Or, the other way, they tilt a bit the left light down to avoid flaring the drivers coming up.

Regards,

-- G.T

I have the impression that not everyone here understands how asymmetric beams look like. Maybe in the US cars don't have asymmetric lights, I don't know...

I hope that these 2 links help understand the matter:

For good understanding, the pattern you see in the pictures is from just 1 headlamp, both headlamps have the same pattern! The pictures are specifically for the UK, on the European continent the pattern is reversed because cars drive on the right side of the road there. This pattern is used to see further on the outside of the road, but when you drive on the wrong side of the road you blind the people that are coming up to you.

Grtz, Eric B. (from the right side)

Hi,

That is (or was ?) the reason why many UK cars, when on continental Europe, have some kind of "stickers" on the headlights.

Regards,

-- G.T

I think that is where we came in.