MSE News: Driving to France? Pack a breathalyser or risk fine

mynameisclare

Is there any requirement to use the breathalyser, rather than just to have it in the car? It all seems rather pointless if not.

Bogtrotter

mynameisclare wrote: »

Is there any requirement to use the breathalyser, rather than just to have it in the car? It all seems rather pointless if not.

I haven't heard the reason how these breathalysers are to be used or indeed the reasoning behind this law in the first place... there are a number of possibilities.

1. To test yourself before driving in which case it would encourage responsible people (who normally would have abstained) to drive having drunk a small amount of alcohol while having no effect on the chronic offenders.

2. Provide a method by which the Gendarmes could use to provide an initial test it they suspected you to be drunk thereby saving the government a few euro.

3. A last ditch attempt at passing a few laws before the elections to prove to the public you're addressing important issues. (unfortunately these laws are usually poorly thought out).

4. Another way to screw a few euro out of the public. Ban sat nav speedcamera data results in boost in revenues from the cameras. All of the 28 million french and all visiting vehicles have to carry a minimum of 2 necessitates a factory or two... tax paying jobs created to man the factory and fines to drivers who don't comply.

Personally (being the cynic) I think its probably a mixture of 3 and 4.

DCFC79

[STRIKE]Re the breathalysers i did hear a news report that said teh police would give the non french residents some lee way and wouldn't expect everyone to have a breathalyser with them.[/STRIKE]

Already mentioned.

artha

Bogtrotter wrote: »

I haven't heard the reason how these breathalysers are to be used or indeed the reasoning behind this law in the first place... there are a number of possibilities.

1. To test yourself before driving in which case it would encourage responsible people (who normally would have abstained) to drive having drunk a small amount of alcohol while having no effect on the chronic offenders.

2. Provide a method by which the Gendarmes could use to provide an initial test it they suspected you to be drunk thereby saving the government a few euro.

3. A last ditch attempt at passing a few laws before the elections to prove to the public you're addressing important issues. (unfortunately these laws are usually poorly thought out).

4. Another way to screw a few euro out of the public. Ban sat nav speedcamera data results in boost in revenues from the cameras. All of the 28 million french and all visiting vehicles have to carry a minimum of 2 necessitates a factory or two... tax paying jobs created to man the factory and fines to drivers who don't comply.

Personally (being the cynic) I think its probably a mixture of 3 and 4.

Agree that it is 3&4. Just to add to the cynicism(sp?) the use of one of these kits would not stand up in court (as far as I know). If you are suspected of driving with above the legal requirement for alcohol then it is only a test used by the police that can be used as evidence. These kits are about as reliable legally as asking someone to smell your breath to see if you are fit to drive!

margaretclare

From spring, motorists will have to have a breathalyzer in their vehicle.
Nicolas Sarkozy, embodying a proposal by several members of Parliament, announced Wednesday that the éthylotest would become mandatory in cars in a few months.

We've just come back from a trip to France where we drove miles and miles and miles...and we did not fall foul of any of the penalties described in post #1. We attempted to buy one of those breathalyser kits but were told that it doesn't come in until July.

The worst place to drive, we found, is Paris. It's an impossible place to drive in. On the plus side, the public loos, the same type as the ones in London where you pay to enter, are free. Can't think of anything else good to say about Paris.

DCFC79

margaretclare wrote: »

The worst place to drive, we found, is Paris. It's an impossible place to drive in. On the plus side, the public loos, the same type as the ones in London where you pay to enter, are free. Can't think of anything else good to say about Paris.

I remember driving on the peripherique but im not sure about paris but i can imagine what it would be like.

DCFC79

So re sat navs is the only thing that the gendarmes are bothered about are the speed camera warning option of a sat nav.

Katiehound

Breathalysers needed from July 1st. Just read it in Woman & Home magazine.

pigeonpie

french friend tells me it's 1 July for the breathalyser kits. They are selling them in 2s so you can 'test' yourself and then of course there's a spare for when the gendarmes 'controle' you. However the kits do not keep the 1st reading so if you are under the limit, and they find you are not, good luck arguing with them!
She also tells me that people are upset as there is only one authorised manufacturer of the kits in France.....guess who's friend?!

I would say de-activate your GPS speed camera detector on the last bit of the motorway leading up to Calais, where you hardly see any 62 cars (Calais) but loads of GB ones and where they do regularly speed trap les anglais. My neighbour had to pay a spot fine recently for speeding.

Mupette

margaretclare wrote: »

Can't think of anything else good to say about Paris.

Did you not try Angelina's for the hot chocolate, oh this is a must :T

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/France/Ile_de_France/Paris-99080/Restaurants-Paris-Angelina-BR-1.html