New Breathalyser Rules in France
Apr 16th 2012, 4:12 pm
#1
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Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 163
New Breathalyser Rules in France
Hi all just some new information for all us expats driving either way and going through France.
By the way, the recommendation is to carry 2 of the things and they must be NF Certified. Read the web for more info.
JohnB
Government confirms new breathalyzer law
Published: 01 Mar 2012 12:56 GMT+1
The French government announced officially on Thursday that all cars must carry a single-use breathalyzer kit from July 1st. The move, which has been widely reported for some time, was made official in a decree on February 28th and published on Thursday.
"Every driver of a motorised land vehicle, excluding mopeds, must possess an unused and immediately available breathlyzer," said the decree, published in the official gazette ("Journal Officiel de la République Française").
Transport ministry officials told The Local that the rule would apply equally to vehicles from outside France. July and August are busy months on the French roads as millions of French people and tourists head for their holiday destinations.
A fine of €11 ($15) will be charged to anyone not carrying the breathalyzer kit, but police have been told to start fining only from November 1st.
The new law is the latest attempt to reduce France's road accident rate. Around 4,000 people died on French roads in 2011, a very slight improvement on the figure for the year before. Drink driving is believed to be responsible for one in three road deaths.
The government hopes having a kit in the car will allow people to test themselves and to give them the means to test others if they suspect they are over the limit. The legal blood alcohol limit in France is 0.5 grams per litre.
By the way, the recommendation is to carry 2 of the things and they must be NF Certified. Read the web for more info.
JohnB
Government confirms new breathalyzer law
Published: 01 Mar 2012 12:56 GMT+1
The French government announced officially on Thursday that all cars must carry a single-use breathalyzer kit from July 1st. The move, which has been widely reported for some time, was made official in a decree on February 28th and published on Thursday.
"Every driver of a motorised land vehicle, excluding mopeds, must possess an unused and immediately available breathlyzer," said the decree, published in the official gazette ("Journal Officiel de la République Française").
Transport ministry officials told The Local that the rule would apply equally to vehicles from outside France. July and August are busy months on the French roads as millions of French people and tourists head for their holiday destinations.
A fine of €11 ($15) will be charged to anyone not carrying the breathalyzer kit, but police have been told to start fining only from November 1st.
The new law is the latest attempt to reduce France's road accident rate. Around 4,000 people died on French roads in 2011, a very slight improvement on the figure for the year before. Drink driving is believed to be responsible for one in three road deaths.
The government hopes having a kit in the car will allow people to test themselves and to give them the means to test others if they suspect they are over the limit. The legal blood alcohol limit in France is 0.5 grams per litre.
Apr 17th 2012, 9:59 am
#2
House sitting in Portugal
Joined: Apr 2012
Location: Bedford UK when not in Portugal
Posts: 169
Re: New Breathalyser Rules in France
Don't forget either that you are NOT ALLOWED to have any form of Speed Camera detection or warning device in your car whilst driving through France.
(This includes Tomtoms (although they have brought out an update called Danger Zones for France) and other GPS devices that have speed camera warnings on them. The speed camera warning must be disabled.)
Liberté, égalité, fraternité eh?
(This includes Tomtoms (although they have brought out an update called Danger Zones for France) and other GPS devices that have speed camera warnings on them. The speed camera warning must be disabled.)
Liberté, égalité, fraternité eh?
Apr 17th 2012, 3:26 pm
#3
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Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 163
Re: New Breathalyser Rules in France
In addition, your yellow fluorescent jacket must be in the car and not the boot. This is so that if you put it on before getting out of the car and get hit by a drunken French HGV driver you will not be injured. Whereas, if you got out and had to go into the boot of the car to get it and the same drunken French HGV driver hit you you would be injured. I think that's why. He can then breathalyze himself with one of his two certified breath test kits that he has to carry.
