Breathalyser kits to be suspended
Breathalyser kits to be suspended
I see the law requiring an unused breathalyser kit to be carried in your car is to be suspended indefinitely from March this year - apparently they are now thought to be unreliable
Instead they are thinking of lowering the alcohol limit which will I suppose be as good as no drinking if driving.
Elena
Dordogne holiday cottages
Tales from our Dordogne gites
keep in touch with Les Crouquets on Facebook
follow us on pinterest
Instead they are thinking of lowering the alcohol limit which will I suppose be as good as no drinking if driving.
Elena
Dordogne holiday cottages
Tales from our Dordogne gites
keep in touch with Les Crouquets on Facebook
follow us on pinterest
It appears they have changed their minds again and the law is to be reinstated.
http://www.thelocal.fr/page/view/france ... TJ08Vc_iSp
http://www.thelocal.fr/page/view/france ... TJ08Vc_iSp
The slightly shambolic attempt to introduce a law making it mandatory for motorists in France to carry a breathalyser kit in their car, appears to have been resolved once for all.
The law, first introduced last summer, was suspended earlier this year by the Interior Minister Manuel Valls, before the government road safety advisory body then recommended it be re-introduced.
On Friday the French government followed their advice and resurrected the law.
However there is one significant change in that anyone caught without a breathalyser in their vehicle will not be punished after the government decided to scrap the proposed €11 fine.
How it will be enforced is still unclear.
- LaVilleauTady
- Posts: 524
- Joined: Sat Jan 27, 2007 6:52 pm
- Location: Southern Brittany (& Lancashire)
- Contact:
Yes, what a shambles! This whole thing is very poorly thought out.
The very cheap hand-held devices are too unreliable/insensitive to be an accurate measure of actual bood alcohol levels, and levels will continue to rise in the body, depending on when the last drink was consumed.
This means upon leaving the bar you may be under the limit (pass test), but the alcohol is still being absorped by the body and your blood/alcohol levels continue to rise for 1 to 1.5 hrs afterwards.
These kits may lull people into a false sense of security.
The very cheap hand-held devices are too unreliable/insensitive to be an accurate measure of actual bood alcohol levels, and levels will continue to rise in the body, depending on when the last drink was consumed.
This means upon leaving the bar you may be under the limit (pass test), but the alcohol is still being absorped by the body and your blood/alcohol levels continue to rise for 1 to 1.5 hrs afterwards.
These kits may lull people into a false sense of security.
So. Do we need to carry the kits - or not? If there is no fine for not having one why would I bother to have one?
I'm not, in principle, against the law itself but I have yet to see a breathalyser kit for sale - anywhere? I've looked in pharmacies when I visit, in supermarkets on my weekly shop, in hypermarkets on a fairly regular basis and even in the bricolages, builder's merchants etc. where I occasionally find myself. Even the vehicle spares shop didn't have any. If I saw one I would buy it but no-one seems to be selling them.
When I asked in my local pharmacy I was given a very meaningful Gallic shrug!
Before they make a law and start fining people they need to sort out the supply.
Gillian
I'm not, in principle, against the law itself but I have yet to see a breathalyser kit for sale - anywhere? I've looked in pharmacies when I visit, in supermarkets on my weekly shop, in hypermarkets on a fairly regular basis and even in the bricolages, builder's merchants etc. where I occasionally find myself. Even the vehicle spares shop didn't have any. If I saw one I would buy it but no-one seems to be selling them.
When I asked in my local pharmacy I was given a very meaningful Gallic shrug!
Before they make a law and start fining people they need to sort out the supply.
Gillian
- LaVilleauTady
- Posts: 524
- Joined: Sat Jan 27, 2007 6:52 pm
- Location: Southern Brittany (& Lancashire)
- Contact:
£5.99 for two kits from Halfords!
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_226211
Not sure if the post to France.
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_226211
Not sure if the post to France.
-
- Posts: 13173
- Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 8:42 am
- Location: French Alps
- Contact:
On 1st March (note, not 1st April) 2013 the décret (n° 2013-180 of 28 February 2013) was published in the JORF (page 3823) modifying Article R. 233-1 of the "code de la route"
In plain English this says : you MUST carry an unused, in-date, approved type breathalyser in your vehicle/on your motorbike BUT if you're found not carrying one there will be no sanction.
So YES you need to carry one but NO there are no penalties for non-compliance.
It's rare to find such a law in France for which there are no sanctions, the most-quoted one is for the obligation of adult French citizens to register on the electoral role (article 9 of the Electoral Code)
In plain English this says : you MUST carry an unused, in-date, approved type breathalyser in your vehicle/on your motorbike BUT if you're found not carrying one there will be no sanction.
So YES you need to carry one but NO there are no penalties for non-compliance.
It's rare to find such a law in France for which there are no sanctions, the most-quoted one is for the obligation of adult French citizens to register on the electoral role (article 9 of the Electoral Code)
- bornintheuk
- Posts: 538
- Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 11:18 am
- Location: Southern Charente
But if you haven't got one and the Gendarmes are in a "bit of a mood" or its near the end of the month and they haven't met the targets on money collected ( as told to me by a sergeant in the force !) then they will find something else to get you on !Circé wrote:On 1st March (note, not 1st April) 2013 the décret (n° 2013-180 of 28 February 2013) was published in the JORF (page 3823) modifying Article R. 233-1 of the "code de la route"
In plain English this says : you MUST carry an unused, in-date, approved type breathalyser in your vehicle/on your motorbike BUT if you're found not carrying one there will be no sanction.
So YES you need to carry one but NO there are no penalties for non-compliance.
It's rare to find such a law in France for which there are no sanctions, the most-quoted one is for the obligation of adult French citizens to register on the electoral role (article 9 of the Electoral Code)