reggiedh

Does anyone know where we can pick up the breathalyser kits that are now required in France? And if my memory serves me correctly doesn't each vehicle require two? We are travelling from Spain into France.

Retired in Euskadi

Due to production problems, they have put back the deadline date to about March 2013, I'm led to believe. Up till October this year, there were none available in France! They were/will be sold in Pharmacies.
It's possible to get them through Amazon UK, but they must have the logo NF on them.

Hope that helps

Domino

yes, you require 2, so that you have a spare after having to use one. Amazon do them in boxes of two.
Brits have been buying loads of these, but seem to remember they have a best before date so I should have taken shares in the company.

Like I carry all the hi-vis vests (1 per passenger) 2 triangles, spare light bulbs + a hazard beacon and wipers, these will have to go into my boot box.
Just can't see all the French having them in their cars so it will become a stick to beat the Brits with when travelling through their lovely country.

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reggiedh

But it is only effective March 2013?

Grebo

Strange, we picked ours up in Carrefours Puget (FR) in August.

Suzi

evilroyslade

Ebay is by far the cheapest place. And with an expiry date of up to 3 years

Domino

as retired says it is a revised date.
IIRC there were plans for it to start around end April 2012 but that then got changed to July and then October, now March 2013.

nothing like having a good plan, just the French, on this one anyway, rushed it thru without considering the production time and the number of people who would be buying.
Perhaps there are more foreigners travelling to and thru their country than they realised - and they would all appear to want to comply with the law.
That makes a change surely

petew

Legally you will have to carry one. If (like me) you would have no intention of ever using it, it's a bit pointless carrying 2. Mind you if they only come in packs of two........

Last summer there was a big fuss about this. We drove back to the UK through France in July, spent about a week in France (I'm a slow driver!) and the only place I saw any for sale was on the ferry from Calais to Dover.

Domino

think about it...........

you should have 2 so that when you use one you will still be legal (if you pass the test that is)

the biggest rush seems to be the Brits getting legal - they know they will get pulled and tested.
just can't see the French worrying about it.

ISTR they can be bought as singles but a double pack is cheaper than two singles......

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petew

I have thought about it thank you ...........I think you have misunderstood the use of these - you don't have to "pass the test" - the police aren't going to use them to test you. They are for you to use to check if you are ok to drive.

billymacker

That is how i read it. if you never drink and drive no need to test your self with the first one so you only need one to show the police.

Domino

if you are that sozzled you don't know how much you have had to drink then why test yourself ?
and how accurate will they be when you have a police digital unit reading offered in court ?

France has a lower drink drive limit of 50mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood as against the 80mg of the UK.
These breathalysers are to be carried in all motor vehicles except mopeds, the fine for not having one is €11, not a mind bending sum but when weighed up against the number of foreigners transiting the country.....

Just don't drink and drive.!

http://www.frenchbreathalyzer.com/
The French Police are suggesting vehicles carry at least two, so that if one is used to check the driver, a second remains for inspection but the law requires either an NF Approved digital breathalyzer or one unused breathalyzer kit.

petew

There is no change in the procedures for testing (and prosecuting) drivers in France. These cheap breathalysers are only for assisting drivers to decide whether or not they are fit to drive. I think it is a misguided idea which will encourage drivers to have a drink when they would be better not drinking at all.

Jon-Bxl

I had no problems getting the 2 breathalysers in France, there is a grace period before the fines start, and I heard it was only 11 Euro as well...

As mentioned above you also need a hi-vis jacket for EACH person, and a warning triangle.

However I also saw that you need spare bulbs as well, is this a LEGAL requirement to drive in France?

Is there any other legal requirement, please, except beam benders, hi-vis, breathalysers, and a triangle....

I'd like to have a list of all as we have had experiences of being pulled over in France soon after the border, (for speeding) and being fined in cash (only) ... also French cars had just overtaken me!! Oh yes the ONLY cars in the pull off were foreign plated cars.... there was a special van all prepared to take our dosh!

Thanks - probably should ask on the French forum - but since we started here......

Welcome, tourists, to France!

Jon

billgates

Would be interesting to see the outcome of a case where the self-breathalyser kit was negative and a police kit was positive.
Would make the regulations completely redundant.