French breath test kits (1 Viewer)

flatpackchicken

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Just seen on tv at 0900, that from 2012 and i presume that means today, 1/1/12, that all drivers must carry a breath test kit themselves, so anyone traveling thru France from now on be carefull. Regards Garry Flatpackchicken
 

Jaws

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Yes, but it is still unclear if visitors to the country will have to carry one.
There was some debate as to the ability to enforce the law with transients .. and as such it would be better not to make it compulsory rather than make it easy to flaunt


I do understand the position but on the other hand, knife laws are hard to police.. should they be scraped ? Just being devils advocate here you understand

I personally do not mind carrying a unit providing I get it paid for or replaced if I am forced to use it and the test is negative

There is also the issue of where someone might get a unit that conforms to the French law ( to be )
If they think I am going to buy one on board a ferry they have another think coming !
EVERYTHING on board the channel ferries is a total rip off !
 

hilldweller

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It seems a crazy law to me.

What happens if your device shows you innocent and a police one guilty ?

Must happen because these will be banging around in a glove box, surely they will age or get damaged and go out of calibration.

They need to be about €1 to encourage regular use.

French drink law is much tighter than ours, almost no drink is the only safe option for your licence.

It all adds up to yet another "lets look like we are doing something" law.

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Feb 27, 2011
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Have I misread this? Are they expecting you to carry one instead of the police having them????? Can't see that working...

As I don't drink within 24 hours of driving am I still obliged to carry one? I won't drink the night before if I am driving and I don't drink during the day... So it's actually closer to 36 hours.

What about t-totallers do they have to waste money on these devices?

What a ridiculous law....
 

hilldweller

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Have I misread this? Are they expecting you to carry one instead of the police having them????? .

I'm thinking of the case where you pass your test, someone hits you. Police arrive and breathalyse everyone.

So if you fail, you can be sure that there is no defence in saying "look, here is one I did earlier".

And we all know it will not make a blind bit of difference to the type that drinks and drives at the dangerous stage.

I like the idea of the French awarding only 6/12 points for this. Many folk will have made a small mistake and a full year ban is over the top for a first offence.
 

Jaws

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With you on this Brian
I know of three women who fell foul of morning after breath tests
Yes, they were breaking the law and indeed should not have been driving, but in each case it was a genuine error in judgement rather than a blatant drink drive incident

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Feb 27, 2011
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I like the idea of the French awarding only 6/12 points for this. Many folk will have made a small mistake and a full year ban is over the top for a first offence.

I couldn't disagree more. If you are driving don't drink end of.....
If you gamble and end up over I have no sympathy as you are not only gambling with your own life.... I am betting if you get caught whilst over it won't be the first time you actually did it only the first time you got caught....

I think a zero tolerance approach would be better as then it would be clear to people that any alcohol and driving is not allowed and there isn't any grey areas.
 
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Feb 27, 2011
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PS: Sorry if I came over all intolerant. My friend lost his sister to a drink driver and it destroyed their family.
 

slobadoberbob

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more crap to carry

I will have to add it to the two triangles, the two yellow jackets, the spare head lamps bulbs... As I do not drink the day before I drive I like some get a bit hot under the collar about it and being ripped off to buy one at the docks or tunnel.

But I do think zero is the only way ..no tolerance at all.

I was only yesterday turning right in to the petrol station on the other side of the road on a fast country road. Indicators on nearly stopped and about to cross the centre line... a bus 50 years ahead stopped to let passengers off.. so a car comes down at speed and passes me and the bus... New Years even?????????? was he drinking? who knows, this time he got away with it.... or should I say we got away with not being wiped out. If I had to put a bet on, I would say he had been drinking... ZERO is the only way.

Bob

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hilldweller

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PS: Sorry if I came over all intolerant. My friend lost his sister to a drink driver and it destroyed their family.

We'll have to agree to differ on this.

We often go for a meal, bottle of wine ( though I don't have half ), sit and watch a movie and I'll drive home. I don't think I'm endangering anyone.

You've got to take a broader view on this safety. More people are killed or injured due to poor quality driving when stone cold sober. So train and test people to Police standards and you'll really see accidents drop.

Speed and alcohol are just easy targets for the spin doctors, it's easy to jump on these offences and be seen to be doing something that won't lose too many votes.

So as you wander down your zero tolerance road to saves lives, you must ban all smoking, fatty foods and poor lifestyles. Sexual or any intimate contact must be tightly controlled to stop the spread of diseases.

Where to you stop ?
 

hilldweller

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As I do not drink the day before I drive
Bob

I once had the pleasure of a talk from the manager of the Red Arrows, he said that one of the hardest parts of his job was hiding the drinks bill from their hotels.

8 hours bottle to throttle is the old airman's saying.

This would not pass today's more stringent air rules but they drank, they flew.
 
Dec 6, 2011
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i'm sorry guy's :Blush: but surely the only point here is to protect others from our stuppidity. :Doh: as already mentioned by others it is often the actions of others that cause the risk!

i will agree however, that smoking while driving is equal to eating / sipping from a water bottle while driving, (which are offences).:Eeek:

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Feb 27, 2011
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We'll have to agree to differ on this.
ok..

We often go for a meal, bottle of wine ( though I don't have half ), sit and watch a movie and I'll drive home. I don't think I'm endangering anyone.
I note you said you don't think, not you know you are not.

Speed and alcohol are just easy targets for the spin doctors, it's easy to jump on these offences and be seen to be doing something that won't lose too many votes.

So as you wander down your zero tolerance road to saves lives, you must ban all smoking, fatty foods and poor lifestyles. Sexual or any intimate contact must be tightly controlled to stop the spread of diseases.

Where to you stop ?

Smoking is a personal choice, as is fatty foods and poor lifestyle. Drink driving affects others and sometimes in a permanent way.... Speeding and Drink driving are proven to be amongst a few of the top causes of accidents along with lack of due care and attention. I think they ought to enforce the mobile phone ban more strictly as I think this is just as dangerous as drink driving. I think people should be retested after 10 years to retain their driving license. It would have a side effect of cutting down on congestion as I am sure 40% of people on the road wouldn't pass again:RollEyes:

Back to drink driving.... I am a touch typist last tested at 60wpm. I know that my accurate speed drops down to 45wpm after less than 1 pint. I feel quite capable of driving after 3 pints but don't because I know it has affected me even if it doesn't feel like it. You may be legal after your less than half a bottle of wine but would the person you run over because your reflexes or judgement were slightly out agree?
 

darklord

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Drink driving laws only touch on the affect of drink on the body. Most MH owners are of a age where they are intelligent enough to know that drink will affect you in different ways on different days, depending on food intake, sugar intake etc etc etc.
I drive for a living, and it is my hobby (landrovers and MH's), so zero tolerance is the only way i can handle drink safely. Most companies have a drink/drugs testing system in operation, and even breaking a mirror can start it off, it can also be random testing.
People drink for a reason, and that reason is not compatible with controlling a vehicle, it would be bad enough, to have an accident due to a circumstance or minor lack of judgement that injured or killed someone, but for that to happen as the result of you purposefully rendering yourself less capable of controlling a car, would be very hard to live with.

It is VERY hard, to live with the fact that as you are travelling across europe in your Mh, when stopping and enjoying an evening meal, probably one glass of a weak wine is all you should have, but the alternative may be that you wont be driving at all.
 

pappajohn

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if 20% of road deaths are caused by drink drivers, it stands to reason 80% of road deaths are caused by sober drivers.......go figure !!!!!

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hilldweller

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Speeding and Drink driving are proven.....

To who's satisfaction ?

As I understand it the way data is collected is very unsatisfactory.

For instance, motorcycle doing 40 in a 30, old fool pulls out in front, bang. 40,30,20 he would still have hit him. But it goes down as speed related.

Same if biker had been drinking, drink not the cause of the accident but it becomes a drink related accident.

I accept that drink and drive is a bad idea but nowhere as bad as "they" make out.

Statistics are more dangerous than any drink driving. We've had great example on here when polls are run. They seldom ask the right questions, they ask the question to support the point of view of the person writing the poll.
 

madbluemad

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It is VERY hard, to live with the fact that as you are travelling across europe in your Mh, when stopping and enjoying an evening meal, probably one glass of a weak wine is all you should have, but the alternative may be that you wont be driving at all.

In my experience, one weak glass of wine is not the only amount that gets drunk. Wine seems to be the motor-homers choice of drink. Iv'e sat and watched people of all nationalities drink more than one bottle of wine per session and not give it a second thought.

I don't think you can get a weak bottle of wine can you.
Jim
:Smile:
 

Wildman

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Brench freath kest tits

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darklord

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Ive heard that the french add water to wine for kids, there are also wines like lambrini etc that are not as potent as other choices. Ive been on landrover outings where people have been drinking till the small hours, then started driving at 9am......you dont have to be einstien to know that they would not pass a DD test regardless of any accident.
As said, wine is a favourite of Mh owners, it is also cheaper anywhere other than the UK, so the temptation is there.
There are DD kits on the market, and to be honest, the main benefit would be for personal use, ie, a few glasses of wine with friends at an Aire, then in the morning, do a quick check to see if you are legal to drive. having to leave it till lunchtime and drive till suppertime, is a small price to pay for a good time with mates, and safer driving.
 
Feb 27, 2011
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As you say Brian we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. Not going to fall out with anyone over a drink especially today :winky:
 

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