Latest on French Breath Test Kits

[PJay]

What is the latest news on Breath Test Kits in France?

Hoping to go away in a couple of weeks, and have not bought any yet. Not sure if they are needed or not, as the goal post seem to keep changing Do we need them? If so will go to Halfords while still home and get a couple

Thanks

PJay

[Russ MMM]

As of March 3rd 2013 you're still required to carry a breath test kit in your vehicle, but there's no fine for not carrying one. So in some of the oddest legislation in many a year the definitive answer is Yes, you're obliged to have one, no, there's no fine for not having one.

 

Russ

[nowtelse2do]

Hi Pauline,

 

It' been delayed indefinitely, won't go into detail but the gist is, theoretically you are still required to carry a self-test breathalyser when driving in France but there is no current legislation demanding a fine for non compliance.

 

So basically you cannot get done for not carrying a kit but legally you should have one !!!! *-) The situation could change since the implementation has only been delayed not abolished, remember that the police have their own breathalysers.

 

Personally I wouldn't bother until a definitive ruling come in.

 

Dave

[gocro]

Glad someone asked,going away tomorrow and cant find the ones I bought last year,so ain't buying any at the port.

[nowtelse2do]

The reason for the postponement is that it appears that the person responsible for introducing the law (in the previous French administration) also had an interest in the only French firm producing the kits, There was also a shortage of available kits in France and the price increased a lot.

 

Another reason was that Environmentalists had criticised them because of the toxic chemicals they contained and they were also shown to be unreliable if stored in the car (or in our case the M/H) at below 5c or above 25c.

 

So France comes into the above scope.

 

Dave

[Wirralian]

Travelled back from Spain last week after a few months stay. Once over the border in France we asked a French motorhomer what the current situation was about the breath test kits. He didn't know what we were talking about!! Never heard about it.

 

John

[Iain Strachan]

Yes, and if they have heard of it they will just ignore it anyway.

[Derek Uzzell]

A legal requirement for motorists driving in France to carry a breathalyser in their vehicles became French law on 1 July 2012 - this law has NOT been repealed.

 

A 4-month period of grace was allowed initially to permit motorists to obtain breathalysers. During that period the French police would not fine motorists found to be failing to comply with the law. From 1 November 2012, failure to carry a breathalyser would attract an €11 fine.

 

For various reasons (eg. supply of breathalysers failing to meet demand) the 1 November deadline was extended by a further 4 months, with fining by the police not beginning until 1 March 2013.

 

In January 2013 the 'fining date' for not carrying a breathalyser was put on indefinite hold awaiting a report on the scheme by the French road-safety committee Conseil National de la Sécurité Routière (CNSR). The report was made public on 13 February 2013 and included concerns about the untrustworthiness of the 'single-use' breathalysers' accuracy that had emerged as a result of independent testing.

 

On 15 February 2013, Manuel Valls ( the French Minister of the Interior) announced that the 'fining date' would remain on indefinite hold.

 

It needs to be said that, although the idea of a breathalyser-type safety-related law had been sketched into French motoring regulations for many years, its implementation had been driven by the Sarkozy government that was ousted from power in May 2012. Manuel Valls - a member of the new government and with no political imperative to support the breathalyser law - said that, for him, the breathalyser plan lacked credibility as far as reducing the alcohol-related French motoring accident numbers was concerned.

 

As has already been advised, it would be possible for a new 'fining date' to be set some time in the future and (because the law has not been repealed) the French police can check (but not fine) motorists driving in France for not complying with the breathalyser law.

 

Realistically though, as the French govenment, French police and French motorists have no interest in the 'self-testing' breathalyser scheme (and, being a unique experiment, there's no evidence to suggest it would actually reduce the number of alcohol-related accidents) it seems most unlikely that the scheme will be resurrected.