Compulsory breathalysers

[SteveB]

I'm about to take my car across to France and wanted to check up what the current position is with compulsory breathalysers. As I understand it, they are theoretically obligatory but there has been a ruling that they can't impose a fine (which I gather is only 11€ anyway, so hardly worth the bother of following up). Can anyone enlighten me further on this rather contradictory (and dare I say it typically French) situation?

Thanks

[Kate]

Hi Steve,
Hope this helps to clarify.
http://anglophone-direct.com/update-car ... in-france/

[russell]

You are correct that it is still compulsory to carry an approved breathalyser but there is no longer a fine for not carrying one. The only sanction available to the gendarmes is to remind you that it is compulsory.

I have heard it suggested that the reason for its introduction was that the manufacturer was a friend of M. Sarkosy.

Russell.

[montgolfiere]

Did i understand correctly that there is now a Zero alcko level for drivers here in France as in Poland......or was i dreaming...

[martyn94]

Did i understand correctly that there is now a Zero alcko level for drivers here in France as in Poland......or was i dreaming...

You were dreaming. It has recently been cut to 0.2g per litre of blood for people with a probationary licence (A plates) but remains 0.5g for others.

[SteveB]

Thanks to Kate and Russell for the info. Breathalysers were on sale for £5.99 for 2 on the ferry so I thought I might as well get them even though it seems you can get away with not having them quite easily. Interestingly, hire cars I've had in France don't seem to have them - are they exempt, or do the companies just think there's no point in bothering?

[martyn94]

Thanks to Kate and Russell for the info. Breathalysers were on sale for £5.99 for 2 on the ferry so I thought I might as well get them even though it seems you can get away with not having them quite easily. Interestingly, hire cars I've had in France don't seem to have them - are they exempt, or do the companies just think there's no point in bothering?

As has already been made abundantly clear, this requirement is the deadest of dead letters. Even if that were not so, it is the driver that commits the offence, not the car. Hire companies have no incentive to provide breathalysers (not least because they have a shortish sell-buy date, would get lost/stolen/used, have to be checked on each hire etc) unless they could charge for it. And no French hirer would pay.

As it is, you have paid £6 for no reason. No tragedy, especially not to me: but why seek advice here, and then ignore it? And then take the effort to tell us that you have ignored it?

[SteveB]

I haven't ignored advice, as no-one has given me any, simply a clarification of the current legal position, which is what I was looking for. As a matter of fact, I probably wouldn't have bothered to seek out a breathalyser, but just happened to see one in the shop on the ferry, and £6 is not a huge sum as you say - anyway it might come in useful sometime.

As for why I replied, I was brought up to be polite, and to thank people when they respond to my queries.

[martyn94]

[quote="SteveB] anyway it might come in useful sometime.

As for why I replied, I was brought up to be polite, and to thank people when they respond to my queries.[/quote]

That's why they sell them in twos. It was one of the many objections to the original décret that you would immediately be breaking the law if you ever actually used the single breathalyser that the law required you to have.

At the risk of teaching granny to suck eggs, have you got the other compulsory stuff? Particularly the hi-viz waistcoat: if you ever break down on a busy road, they are genuinely useful, and you also have some risk of being nicked if you don't wear one.