[dennohue]

In the autumn of 2008 I posted a thread entitled What You Need to Know, What You need to Do, When Driving Abroad. The post was intended to assist those members going to the Euromeet who had not driven abroad before.

Although much of the information the post contained is still appropriate, with the passage of time the requirements impossed by different countries may have changed.

However, there is one major change which it is worth drawing to the attention of anyone intending to visit France this year! From July motorists in France must carry a breathalyser, although there will be a period of grace until November, before fines are issued. The breathalysers can be purchased from most pharmacies for about £2 each, and they will be available at ferry and tunnel terminals.

Bear in mind that the limit in France is only 50mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood, so be careful when entering France and make sure you have a mobile breathalyser kit on board.

[andy2000]

So what exactly are our french friends trying to achieve by this....

is it that you should just carry a breathaliser kit with you or is the intention that you actually use it before you drive after having a glass of Beaujolais with your lunch ???! or is it so that if you get stopped and the police suspect you are over the limit they can use the one you have bought instead of the government supplying les gendarmes with their own...

sounds like just another money making scheme to me...

[Juicy Steve]

They are quite strict over there, you need an extinguisher, triangle, hi viz for each passenger and something else I forget in the car at all times.

My parents moved out there, and still had UK plates on for a while, and they used to get stopped all the time.

Now they've registered the car over there, it never happens.

Basically the French don't like us. Deal with it.

[Zebadee]

They did also state that there would be on the spot compulsory fines if you didnt have them.

These fines would be in the region of 10 euros per offence.

They werent intending actually imposing the fine until the 1st November!

The funny bit is, they quoted that 31% of all driving accidents were alcohol related, with the average alcohol levels being 4 times over the limit. Oh my god - that is the AVERAGE! It would seem that this legislation therefore wont have the slightest affect! If the average person is 4 times over the limit - they wont give a damn about checking a breathalyser - they would already know!

[richmc]

Rural French drink and drive as a matter of habbit, it's part of the French way of thumbing their noses at authority, also as there are loads of civil workers in the gandamarie there is a lot more "I know the local chief" and can get away with it attitude. I've seen it myself with friends of mine in France, they park somewhere illegal and find a gandarme and tell them they know so and so, and then are allowed to park where they like.

One other new piece of French daftness that came in in January is it's now illegal to have safety camera data on your sat nav in France, even if it's disabled, you will be fined and possibly your sat nav confiscated and destroyed, bummer if it an in dash one!

[Klunky]

Juicy Steve, on 21 February 2012 - 04:41 PM, said:

They are quite strict over there, you need an extinguisher, triangle, hi viz for each passenger and something else I forget in the car at all times.

My parents moved out there, and still had UK plates on for a while, and they used to get stopped all the time.

Now they've registered the car over there, it never happens.

Basically the French don't like us. Deal with it.

I have had a place in France since 2004 and I never have been stopped due to having UK plates (as well as a french car I kept my old UK car on my personal reg), I found most gendarmes stood to one side when they seen me approach maybe thinking I was a tourist or maybe they didnt want a language issues I dont know.

Also, I have never been asked if I had hi vis vests, light bulbs or a triangle, I have always had them but never asked plus it is for my benefit not theirs.
And you dont have to have a fire extinguisher

I have only had an issue with one french person as well.
The people who hate the English the most are - the English

This post has been edited by Klunky: 22 February 2012 - 07:29 AM