Patricia Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 JudgeMental - 2012-07-02 8:04 AM Ah! The good old days Patricia......Got the book by the way, taking it on hol's :-D Good - I do hope you enjoy it. I am making it last - on page 458 now! Where are you off to this time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike P Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 Got a pack of 2 (French approved) for £2.99 from Halfords (Penrith) three weeks ago. Mike P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 Patricia - 2012-07-02 10:00 AM JudgeMental - 2012-07-02 8:04 AM Ah! The good old days Patricia......Got the book by the way, taking it on hol's :-D Good - I do hope you enjoy it. I am making it last - on page 458 now! Where are you off to this time? heading for lake Garda for some R & R and decent weather and food...Then Tuscany/Umbria, ferry over to Split in Croatia and Island hopping our way back up.... :-D Watched Richard 2 Saturday night..great stuff!. Richard 2 of Bordeaux, born in Bordeaux, spoke not one word of English... but according to some was not French :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 A few years back, fairly late on a quiet, warm, autumn night, we stopped for fuel on the A26 a few miles south of Calais. There was one other car at the pumps. While he was paying and I was filling, another car arrived, very erratically, with windows open and radio at max volume, stopped, stalled, re-started, crashed into the rear of the other car, jerked back a few yards, swung around the damaged car and drove off into the night. I was unable to see the number plate as it was obstructed by the pumps, and the poor chap who was paying (automate) half saw the mayhem, but by the time he had retrieved his card, the offending vehicle had gone, leaving behind a small pile of debris, two slightly stunned individuals, and a quiet, warm, autumn night. That, mind you was on the A26! The chap with the damaged car was trying to get the offending vehicle stopped at the last toll station when we left. Bizarre, totally bizarre! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euroserv Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 Hello Folks, I have seen these things advertised in the UK (motoring magazines etc) for £4.99 with a carriage charge on top. The Halfords deal of £2.99 is the best I have heard so far. If the French people can sell them for E1.99, why are we getting ripped off with at least a 50% premium to pay? Obvious.... We have to buy them in the UK before we travel! You can't go to France and stop at the first Carrefour and buy one because you might get stopped before you get there and they might not have any in stock anyway! The whole thing is utter nonsense anyway. If the Police stop you and believe you have been drinking they have to test you with their equipment not yours. The fact that militant French truck drivers and farmers were left alone to burn vehicles carrying livestock into Europe from the UK only 10 years ago by a Police force that will be implementing this insane law makes me so angry that I will not be going there again. They won't care; they don't care about anything but themselves. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 I understand that the ferries will/are stocking them and the French police will not fine anyone without until November - or so we are told - which should give everyone time enough to get kitted up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 Nick, the police stood by and let it happen. Same union probably. Same when they did the road block's. Can you imagine that happening over here with our police force. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Tracker - 2012-07-02 5:13 PM I understand that the ferries will/are stocking them and the French police will not fine anyone without until November - or so we are told - which should give everyone time enough to get kitted up? Yes, of course it should. The 'going price' for a twin-pack of English-language-packaged breathalysers on ferries (and in Halfords according to their adverts) currently appears to be £5.99. The French law targets French motorists. Only a tiny number of UK-based motorcaravanners (eg, those who own property in France) genuinely NEED to drive in that country. The rest may wish to drive there but, as they don't NEED to, can (like euroserv) decide not to. If they decide not to drive in France the French breathalyser law is irrelevant. Those motorcaravanners who choose to drive in France can also choose to comply with the French law by obtaining the requisite breathalyser, or they can choose not to. Those that choose to comply should not have much difficulty obtaining an appropriate breathalyser before visiting France. As Tracker says, fining won't start until November, so, even if a breathalyser is not obtained before visiting France, there's still 4 months in which to find one if you are motoring in France between now and November. Although some French retailers were out of stock when I visited France last month, I saw plenty of stores that had them. Those motorcaravanners who choose to drive in France but deliberately flout the French law for political, religious, miserly (whatever) reasons will risk an 11€ fine from November onwards. It's their choice and (like their reasons for making that choice) of no interest to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Rather agree with Derek ,but Breathalyzer in Supermarket 1e Alan :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 alan - 2012-07-03 10:14 AM Rather agree with Derek ,but Breathalyzer in Supermarket 1e Alan :-D Not sure I understand your point, Alan. Are you saying that an NF-marked breathalyser can be bought for 1€ in a French supermarket or what? I bought a twin-pack from a Carrefour supermarket for 2.20€ in June (Redline-manufactured, French-language packaging, expiry-date March 2014) and that's the cheapest 'single unit' price from a retail outlet that I've seen. There's a French article here http://votreargent.lexpress.fr/consommation/ethylotest-obligatoire-au-1er-juillet-inutile-de-se-precipiter_260647.html that claims that 35% of French motorists had obtained a breathalyser by mid-June. The article also remarks on the potential unreliability of the 'chemical' type of breathalyser if its conditions of usage are not taken into account. There are plenty of on-line reports highlighting a present acute shortage of breathalysers in French retail outlets (and on-line too for that matter) and it's a fair bet this will worsen as the November deadline approaches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwyn Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Update from previous message, we tried another pharmacy in France and still got the same answer that they had none as it wasn't being introduced yet, having said that we still caved in on prices and bought a pack on the ferry!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 On the UK market there now appear to be three different brands of 'disposable' breathalyser claimed to conform to the French legal requirement. These brands are ETHYLOTEST, ALCOSENSE and ALCOPROOF, with the first two being 'bag type' and the last needing no bag. It's likely that the breathalysers sold on ferries will be AlcoSense-branded (made by the South African company "Redline") as I don't think the French manufacturer produces versions with English-language packaging. A motorhome dealership I visited on Wednesday also had (a small number of) AlcoSense twin-packs in stock at £5.99 per pack. I was told that they had sold quite a few recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGD Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Just to avoid any confusion, my understanding of the actual regulation is that it requires vehicles (cars, motorbikes of 125cc and over, vans, lorries et al) to carry just ONE unused "NF" badged, in-date breathalyser. If stopped at a routine check, you'd have to produce if asked this ONE unused item....or just possibly get landed with the 11 euro naughty-boy on-the-spot fine. If stopped on suspicion of drink-driving, it is NOT your cheapo, rough-and-ready, approximate, one-use chemical based breathalyser that the Police would use to check your breath alcohol level, but their own far more advanced and sensitive electronic machines that they carry. The only reason why they are being marketed in packs of two, is that you might actually one day want to use one on yourself to give a rough idea as to whether you might be over the (lower than UK) French DD limit, and then still have the second as your "unused" item in the car/van until you had chance to buy more.....but it ain't compulsory under the regs to have more than one in the vehicle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 What if you are stopped and have to use that 1 breathalyzer? You won't have another unused one. Best to buy two methinks;-) Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 nowtelse2do - 2012-07-07 10:01 AM What if you are stopped and have to use that 1 breathalyzer? You won't have another unused one. Best to buy two methinks;-) Dave Apologies Dave, I think you've missed the point. If you are stopped you will not be asked to blow into your own breathalyser. You will blow into Mr Plods all singing & dancing one. So your own will be preserved unused. You only need 2 if you are going to test yourself before you drive. Best not to get stopped in the first place I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGD Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 nowtelse2do - 2012-07-07 10:01 AM What if you are stopped and have to use that 1 breathalyzer? You won't have another unused one. Best to buy two methinks;-) Dave Did you read my post Dave? It wouldn't happen. If you were stopped to be breathalysed by the Police it is THEIR, sophisticated, electronic, regularly calibrated kit you'd be required to breathe into by them, NOT your little glove-box chemical, approximate, one-use jobbie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 SNAP! *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 Thanks guys, misunderstood the reason for them. Thought it was to save the french police some dosh :$ :-D Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave225 Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 Be warned, it is not just the French Police you have to watch out for, it is the Customs as well, and yes, they operate anywhere in France not just at the borders. We saw a 4x4 being pulled over by 2 Douane on motorbikes just outside Orleans and escorted to a staging area where there were several van s and uniformed personnel waiting to give the poor sod a going over. He had not committed any crime on the road but his number plate was Norwegian, so i guess they were looking to see how much Duty Free he had in the trunk. Of course any such check will invariably lead to the check list being produced and appropriate fines being levied for any errors. By the way to ensure you have headlamp benders stuck on the lights as they are looking for these and also ensure you have a GB sticker on the back, unlike those idiots who think it does not apply to them. It is the small things that get you spotted. I know that with Xeon lights the benders do not apply but then again you may have to explain to Froggie Plod that one. My policy is to be as inconspicous as possible, don't speed and if you get carved up by a local don't lose the cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith T Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 We are still in France, and have tried several times to get the breathalyzer kits from supermarkets- they all sem to have run out, and no stock left...so maybe the French have been buying them up! We also heard thatin some places he nightclubs have been buying them, and though have no idea how correct that is, also rumours that nightclubs may be held responsible for the alcohol levels of those leaving the clubs and then driving away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek500 Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 Dave225 - 2012-07-07 2:39 PM Be warned, it is not just the French Police you have to watch out for, it is the Customs as well, and yes, they operate anywhere in France not just at the borders. We saw a 4x4 being pulled over by 2 Douane on motorbikes just outside Orleans and escorted to a staging area where there were several van s and uniformed personnel waiting to give the poor sod a going over. He had not committed any crime on the road but his number plate was Norwegian, so i guess they were looking to see how much Duty Free he had in the trunk. Of course any such check will invariably lead to the check list being produced and appropriate fines being levied for any errors. I got pulled over by the douane in the first village past the Somport tunnel a few weeks ago. It was purely for a tobacco/alcohol check. I asked about the breathalysers and was told it was the police I should ask and nothing to do with them. They don't check for triangles and yellow jackets etc. Tried a couple of supermarkets and pharmacies to buy breathalysers, but none had any stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 11 euro's fine............2 year use by date............never been stopped in 30 years..........Ummmmmm :D.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 Dave225 - 2012-07-07 1:39 PM By the way to ensure you have headlamp benders stuck on the lights as they are looking for these and also ensure you have a GB sticker on the back, unlike those idiots who think it does not apply to them... There is no legal requirement to fit beam-converters ("headlamp benders") when driving in Continental Europe. The requirement is that a vehicle's headlamp's should not dazzle oncoming drivers, but beam-converters are not the only means to achieve this. An increasing number of cars have projector headlamps (not just Xenon type) allowing the dipped-beam pattern to be switched easily from the UK's left-dipping norm to a right-dipping pattern. My Skoda uses a lever system and takes under 5 minutes to make the necessary change and, in June, I saw a Jaguar driver rapidly alter his car's headlamps' beam pattern while on a ferry car-deck awaiting disembarkation at Portsmouth. The small-diameter Hella dipped-beam light-units fitted to many A-class motorhomes are 'bisexual' and can produce a left- or right-dipping pattern. Switching between patterns is more labour intensive than the 'lever' system I've just mentioned, but it is possible and, because the small size of the light-units makes fitting beam-converters impracticable, necessary to minimise the possibility of dazzle. And, of course, if a UK motorhome visiting Continental-Europe already has right-dipping headlamps, fitting beam-converters will be unnecessary. Regarding the requirement for a "GB sticker", this came up (and, hopefully, was adequately dealt with) towards the end of this earlier thread http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=26437&posts=49 Returning to breathalysers, there's a useful brief summary of the related French legislation here http://www.alcoproof.co.uk/legislation.html When the French carry-in-your-vehicle breathalyser law was introduced, there was already a French law demanding that (from 1 December 2011) discotheques/night-clubs provide alcohol-testing facilities. This may have contributed to the present shortage in France of disposable breathalysers but, as the 2011 law put the onus on night-time entertainment establishments to provide alchohol-level testers, not on the individual to buy/use them, it seems likely that the effect would not be massive. With a target 'motorist audience' approaching 40 million, it's hardly surprising that supply is, at present, failing to meet demand. I've read comments from French retailers saying they are reluctant to commit to big orders of breathalysers following the high-viz jacket/warning-triangle sales experience. In the latter case retailers ordered large stocks of those products well in advance of the French law's implementation date, but motorists failed to buy them until the last possible moment. People being people, approaching 1 July 2012 - when the requirement for a motorist to carry a breathalyser in his/her vehicle became law - it was to be expected that demand for breathalysers would rocket. Whether supply will soon meet demand is anybody's guess, but one should certainly anticipate another hike in demand close to the 1 November 2012 'fining date'. The "Distributors" section of this webpage may help when it comes to obtaining breathalysers in France http://www.contralco.fr/gb/Contralco_ethylotest.php I'd also look for them being sold in bars/tabacs, newsagents, fuel service-stations and Relais Routiers-type restaurants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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