kelly58 Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 A twin pack of Breathalisers in Carrefour are 2.20e purchased mine to-day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 did you check the dates? as we looked on way down and all we looked at were only valid for 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Momma Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Having recently returned from France (April 13th), I enquired at the Ferry terminal on the outbound leg as to where I could purchase these. I was told that there was no need as they would not be compulsory until November 2012. My opinion is, not knowing the shelf life, why buy now if you do not need to ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 shelf life stamped on packet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 JudgeMental - 2012-04-23 5:31 PM did you check the dates? as we looked on way down and all we looked at were only valid for 2012 It's definitely something to beware of. I doubt that there was much call for single-use breathalysers in France in the past, so it's likely that plenty of old stock with a limited remaining 'life span' will find its way on to retailers' shelves. Two years seems to be the norm, so a 2014 end-of-usability date should be looked for. The law comes into force on 1 July 2012, with a 'period of grace' until the end of October 2012. So drivers in France will be required by law to carry a breathalyser from 1 July even though fines for not doing so will not be imposed until November. If I were planning to be driving in France from 1 July onwards I'd want to have a breathalyser in my vehicle before that date. (Another thing to beware of - only slightly breathalyser-related - is the amount of senile white wine that gets marketed in France. A 2011 vintage can share shelf-space with apparently identical bottles that a closer inspection reveals are from much earlier years. I'm not talking about posh stuff, but inexpensive wine that was made to be drunk very young while its freshness lasts. Even more dangerous are wine-boxes, which are handy for storage in a motorhome, but have a much shorter shelf-life than many people realise. Some boxes carry an unambiguous date indicating when the wine was put in them; others carry date-of-filling information that needs care to interpret correctly; others carry no fill-date reference and are best ignored.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Momma Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 JudgeMental - 2012-04-23 6:17 PM shelf life stamped on packet Sorry Judge, didn't make my point very clear. Irrespective of the shelf life stamped on the pack. If you do not need to have these in your vehicle until Nov 2012 why buy them now ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly58 Posted April 24, 2012 Author Share Posted April 24, 2012 The one's I bought yesterday are out dated 03/2014 so thats OK !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Momma Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 kelly58 - 2012-04-24 9:25 AM The one's I bought yesterday are out dated 03/2014 so thats OK !! Well I guess that is a good shelf life so now you have them before the rush in Winter :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cerro Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 I feel at a loss on this one you see I have never drunk a pint of beer in my life or any alcohol, so how will it effect me, seems a waste just to buy one for no reason, oh well I surpose!!!!!!!! Oh before I get the usual friendly banter I do other things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 cerro - 2012-04-24 8:31 PM I feel at a loss on this one you see I have never drunk a pint of beer in my life or any alcohol, so how will it effect me, seems a waste just to buy one for no reason, oh well I surpose!!!!!!!! Oh before I get the usual friendly banter I do other things There must be a lot of people in the same position as you, and I've not seen any explanation about when you should use them. Just be pleased that you are helping the French economy. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Momma Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 As I understand it........the whole idea is that you have to carry them. However, if you get stopped and they breathalyse you they will use their own kit. The purpose of the one you have to carry ? If you have been drinking the night before and am unsure as to whether you are over the limit then you breath test yourself. If over the limit 'Don't Drive !! If you don't have the kit, and drive under the influence and get stopped and their test proves positive I suppose you could get arrested/fined worse for not having the test kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 Big Momma - 2012-04-24 9:21 PM As I understand it........the whole idea is that you have to carry them. However, if you get stopped and they breathalyse you they will use their own kit. The purpose of the one you have to carry ? If you have been drinking the night before and am unsure as to whether you are over the limit then you breath test yourself. If over the limit 'Don't Drive !! If you don't have the kit, and drive under the influence and get stopped and their test proves positive I suppose you could get arrested/fined worse for not having the test kit. So, as cerro will never have any cause to use one, having not had a drink the night before, he should at least get a letter of thanks from the president for buying one. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 malc d - 2012-04-24 9:40 PM Big Momma - 2012-04-24 9:21 PM As I understand it........the whole idea is that you have to carry them. However, if you get stopped and they breathalyse you they will use their own kit. The purpose of the one you have to carry ? If you have been drinking the night before and am unsure as to whether you are over the limit then you breath test yourself. If over the limit 'Don't Drive !! If you don't have the kit, and drive under the influence and get stopped and their test proves positive I suppose you could get arrested/fined worse for not having the test kit. So, as cerro will never have any cause to use one, having not had a drink the night before, he should at least get a letter of thanks from the president for buying one. ;-) "ONE" being the operative word. Since he'll never actually use his, he only needs the one, to be able to show the nice gendarme that he's obeying the law by carrying it. For them to be any practical use to the rest of us (as opposed to ticking a legal box), we need to carry at least TWO. If I use mine to test myself with after a drink, I then have to have ANOTHER ready to show the man with the moustache and the gun. Unless of course I just CARRY it to obey the law, but never actually use the thing as designed! Ah well, they have sensible motorhome laws in most other ways, can't have everything I suppose! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Momma Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 Again, I am no expert on this subject but have read with interest about this subject on French ex-pat forums. I believe that the purpose of introducing this law about carrying Breathalyser kits was not aimed at the tourists transiting or touring through France. It was as a result of the high number of drink drive cases by the French. Many French drink alcohol with their breakfast coffee whilst out buying their bagette :-S When stopped and breath tested they stated that they didn't know they had drunk that much (not a legal defence I hasten to add). So the introduction of these breath kits was aimed at the French so that they could check themselves before driving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 I'm going to suggest that this earlier thread covers all (or at least 99%) that UK motorcaravanners need to know about the French breathalyser law: http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=26437&start=1 A week or so ago I was discussing French road-accident statistics with a couple of French acquaintances who were visiting the UK. One was completely unaware of the French breathalyser law, while the other knew about the law but was not convinced when I said that breathalysers would be widely obtainable throughout France for not much more than €1. Both confirmed that drink-driving was a serious problem in France, especially among the young and during the hours of darkness. They told me that drug use (particularly cannabis smoking) was also widespread and contributed to the high accident rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorrie Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 We have bought a set from Halfords online. Not yet available in the shops but sent out for free. £4.99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 Lorrie - 2012-04-25 7:42 PM We have bought a set from Halfords online. Not yet available in the shops but sent out for free. £4.99 Some Halfords shops have them. I bought mine in a Halfords shop about 3 weeks ago, they were not in the ' foreign travel ' section, they were next to the till. Best to do an on-line check of their stock first though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilf Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 Just a quick question!! As I understand from 1st July I need to carry a breathalyser in the motorhome to be legal in France. But do I also need to carry a breathalyser in the car I tow behind on an A-frame. Do I move the breathalyser from the motorhome to the car when I use the car solo; if I don’t have breathalyser’s in both? What are your thought please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 Get two . Be safe PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 PJay - 2012-04-25 8:10 PM Get two . Be safe PJay I'd agree with that. It will save you from remembering to swap it every time. I should think the law will be one kit per vehicle anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhorsf Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 Its a bit like telling everyone they have to wear a crash helmet whether they ride a motorbike or not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly58 Posted April 26, 2012 Author Share Posted April 26, 2012 Lorrie - 2012-04-25 7:42 PMWe have bought a set from Halfords online. Not yet available in the shops but sent out for free. £4.99.Carrefour 2.20 euro's for 2 good old rip off britain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 Wilf - 2012-04-25 8:07 PM Just a quick question!! As I understand from 1st July I need to carry a breathalyser in the motorhome to be legal in France. But do I also need to carry a breathalyser in the car I tow behind on an A-frame. Do I move the breathalyser from the motorhome to the car when I use the car solo; if I don’t have breathalyser’s in both? What are your thought please? The French law applies to drivers not vehicles - if you were found, while driving in France, not to be carrying in your motorhome a warning-triangle, high-visiblity waistcoat or (in future) a breathalyser, it would be you, not the vehicle, that might be fined. The French decree states: "Every driver of a road motor vehicle (other than a moped) must prove to be in possession of a breathalyzer, unused and immediately available". When your car is being towed it has no driver, so there's no need for a breathalyser to be in it. When it is being driven it will have a driver and that driver will need to ensure that he/she has a breathalyser to hand when driving the car. Commonsense though (as has already been advised) is that you keep a breathalyser in both your motorhome and your towed car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 Is it just me but I don't get it, you have to carry an unused breathalyser but if it's unused it serves no purpose, if it has been used at least if shows you have been diligent. If the law states it must be unused there is no inclination to use it as if you were under the limit you could drive legally but you would be breaking the law because you used it. :D It would make more sense if you had to carry 2 of which at least one must be unused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 lennyhb - 2012-04-26 11:30 AM Is it just me but I don't get it, you have to carry an unused breathalyser but if it's unused it serves no purpose, if it has been used at least if shows you have been diligent. If the law states it must be unused there is no inclination to use it as if you were under the limit you could drive legally but you would be breaking the law because you used it. :D It would make more sense if you had to carry 2 of which at least one must be unused. I thought that speculations such as this had been thoroughly thrashed out in the thread I gave a link to earlier in this one. (Did you refer back to it - if so, how can you not "get it"?) I notice that the Shop Front section (page 101) of the latest (May 2012) Caravan Club magazine carries an advert for a twin-pack of AlcoSense breathalysers. The advert says "With effect from July 1, all vehicles travelling in France must carry a minimum of two NF-approved alchohol breathalysers." This is incorrect - you can have as many breathalysers in your vehicle as you so choose, but carriage of a single breathalyser will be sufficient to comply with the French law. It may be a good idea to carry two breathalysers: it may even make logical sense to carry two breathalysers; but carrying two breathalysers will NOT be legally required. (Is it just me, or do motorcaravanners as a breed revel in complicating simple concepts? I just don't get it!) ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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