Well, according to the Daily Mail anyway....(though in typical DM fashion, sounds like some sort of simple pass/fail device.
Sounds a bit OTT to me. Soon I wont have any boot space with all the compulsory gear!
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2104024/Now-French-say-holidaymakers-carry-breathalyser-kit-car.html
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Dont you just love the Daily Mail
Now the French say holidaymakers have to carry a breathalyser kit in their car
The headlines blaze in large font.
They have penalised British drivers for not carrying a warning triangle or a fluorescent safety vest.
Now French police have another weapon to wield against holidaymakers – a law insisting all motorists have a breathalyser kit in their cars
the lead in says
The implication being of course that its a plot against Non French Drivers, not applying to the locals themselves.
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All a bit overblown by the DM I think.
Holidayed annually in France since 1999 driving perhaps 3000 miles on each visit. Never been stopped. Indeed been waved through checks where french nationals were checked.
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Same here. Been to France most years and driven all over and never been stopped. Can't really fault them on trying to reduce drink driving which still a major problem in France even though not as bad as it was 10 years ago.
I remember watching a drunk motorcyclist and pillion passenger trying to get on their bike outside a cafe in Bayeux. After first managing to drive into a wall they wobbled off down the road. After a hundred metres they veered off into another cafe knocking over several tables and landing in a large flowerbed filled with geraniums.
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I think my father first holidayed to France by car in 1949 and probably every year after that. The only occasion on which he was stopped was at 10am when they were breathalyzing everybody. My brother was driving the car, but - being a right hand drive car - that didn't stop the policeman from stuffing the bag through the left hand window towards my father...
Which brings to mind another funnier (true) story I was told. In a traffic jam on the motorway les flics were doing exactly the same thing, walking down the line of cars with their bags. This was just after lunch, and our hero, again English in a RHD car had lunched very well indeed and was doubtless over the limit. In the front passenger seat was the heroine of the piece, who had not partaken of the liquid part of lunch. Again, M. le Flic stuffed the bag into the left hand side of the car. Our heroine blew the bag up and pushed it back out of the window, and the policeman moved on down the queue.
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My experience is similar: been waved through numerous checkpoints. The one time we were stopped was by a local patrol in a small town, who were pulling over everyone. I realized with a sinking feeling that the folder containing the car documents was in my bag back at the house, although I had my licence to hand.
The senior flic listened to my apology in my (presumably) adequate French, gently admonished me about the need to keep the docs in the car "en cas d'accident", and sent us on our way.
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Soon you will have to report and prosecute yourself if you find yourself over the limit! - its a "cost-cutting" thing!
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The breathalyser rule isn't in force yet but will be shortly, I understand. It applies to everyone, not just visitors and no-one I know has bought one yet. Apparently they are on sale in the equivalent of K---F-- for about 1.50.
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How much are they in the €.99 shop?
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I have been stopped in France twice in nearly 20 years of driving there (usually twice a year). Once was by Douanes (sp?) at a toll both (they looked through all our baggage, including my toiletry bag!).
Then the last time was 2 years ago, stopped for speeding and overtaking on a solid line (the GF was driving at the time.). He didnt check documents, vests, or anything else, though he was relieving us of 180 euro at the time!!
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Been lucky driving in Europe with no fines.
Have been pulled over at customs several times. Always asked to drive to an area where the dogs are let out to sniff around the car and some funny dam pads wiped on the steering wheel and door handles. They always seem to take 3 cars at a time (perhaps so there are witnesses).
I must look like a drug trafficker.
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Was lucky last year driving to fast in France,old boy waved his arm to slow down.
I did,speed check further on.
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Similar story. Been driving in France since 1981 up to 4 times a year and never been stopped (yet!) even when all the locals were being pulled in.
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The issue has been rumbling on for a while:
www.french-property.com/news/travel_france/driving_offences_toughened_2012/
and an older (but much longer url) reference
tinyurl.com/c2cfzsp
Not the end of the world if you can buy the kit for a few € near the border.
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What's more, we have to drive on the right hand side over there, sacre blue!
Last edited by: zippy on Tue 21 Feb 12 at 17:31
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These crazy frogs should be running the country exclusively for the benefit English holidaymakers speeding down to the Dordogne. How dare they have the temerity to introduce laws which might affect us. It's all a dastardly plot by johny foreigner to extract more money from us. I'm writing to that nice Mr Farage about it. He'll sort them out.
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I've never driven a British car in France only French hire cars, that way I can blend into the backgound more easily.
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>> What's more, we have to drive on the right hand side over there, sacre blue!
According to the Daily Mail, they only make the British do that.
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>>The issue has been rumbling on for a while:
>>
There was an interview with a raod haulage guy on R5 this evening.
He said that the booze problem is far worse in France than in the UK.
Bars etc have to supply breathalyser kits on a request from a customerer and this is only really an extension of this thrust to kerb drunk driving.
He was not certian that it will be implemented on the suggested date.
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>>kerb drunk driving<<
Pun intended Henry? :)
Pat
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Now we have to carry a breathalyser in France! - Zero
