Breathalyser.............in France??????

[Phod's]

Saw a post from Pappajohn in another thread, that says they are no longer needed as the law has been repealed can anyone confirm this and was it only Fance it applied to???
I've just bough a new kit go my post Xmas jaunt, so I'll have one anyway but will look forward to saving another fiver in a couple of years.....maybe?????

 

[Kingham]

Yes, France and no, not needed.

 

[MisterB]

you should buy a string of garlic instead and a beret and pretend to be French, because they never took any notice even when it was a (supposedly) law

and if you wont take Papajohns word for it, why would you believe me or anyone else? but if you are prepared to believe me, then NO, they are not required

 

[pappajohn]

For a long time it was law but the fine (€6 maybe €11, can't recall) for not carrying wasn't worth the paperwork involved so in effect the law was unofficially scrapped a few years ago.
Early this year the law was officially scrapped

 

[barsteward]

And if you had ever been caught before do you think they would not have breathalysed you because you hadn't got a kit?

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[MisterB]

For a long time it was law but the fine (€6 maybe €11, can't recall) for not carrying wasn't worth the paperwork involved so in effect the law was unofficially scrapped a few years ago.
Early this year the law was officially scrapped

I don't believe you …..

 

[DBK]

They gave up in France because if you were caught you could still keep driving if you bought a smaller car.

 

[maison]

Halfords still have them on display at the checkout in our local store stating that they are a legal requirement in France.

Each time I visit I remind them that they are utilising false advertising as there is no such requirement. A law was brought in a few years ago, ignored and accepted as unenforceable, leading to its repeal. They still continue to display them stating that they are a legal requirement.

There is no current law requiring them.

 

[pappajohn]

And if you had ever been caught before do you think they would not have breathalysed you because you hadn't got a kit?

You had to carry two SERVICABLE kits at all times.... No excuse.

 

[barsteward]

ohh sh$$t I only ever carried one.

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[Pete5996]

The law requiring them to be carried still exists as per the Service-Public website. Expand the Éthylotest drop-down and the Google translation is as follows:

'You must have a breathalyzer in your vehicle unless your vehicle is equipped with an alcohol breath tester (ELIS).
The ethylotest can be chemical or electronic. It must be marked with the NF standard.
You can buy it in a pharmacy, a tobacconist, some supermarkets and service stations, etc.
The absence of breathalyzer is not sanctioned.'

And from this site: 'An offending motorist therefore incurs no fine. He is simply exposed to a reminder of the law (ie a verbal warning).

I have one in my Passat and one in the MH, both expired in 2014 and really need binning

Save your money.....

 

[pappajohn]

The law requiring them to be carried still exists as per the Service-Public website. Expand the Éthylotest drop-down and the Google translation is as follows:

'You must have a breathalyzer in your vehicle unless your vehicle is equipped with an alcohol breath tester (ELIS).
The ethylotest can be chemical or electronic. It must be marked with the NF standard.
You can buy it in a pharmacy, a tobacconist, some supermarkets and service stations, etc.
The absence of breathalyzer is not sanctioned.'

And from this site: 'An offending motorist therefore incurs no fine. He is simply exposed to a reminder of the law (ie a verbal warning).

I have one in my Passat and one in the MH, both expired in 2014 and really need binning

Save your money.....

It still exists on nearly every website you look at.... Click the link and scroll down a little, it even gives the dates it was introduced and finally scrapped.

https://www.connexionfrance.com/Fre...eathalyser-kits-as-controversial-law-scrapped

 

[Pete5996]

https://www.connexionfrance.com/Fre...eathalyser-kits-as-controversial-law-scrapped

Whoops - the Service-public should really update their website!

 

[pappajohn]

So should the AA, RAC, DRIVE-FRANCE and just about every other motoring website.

To be fair to service-public, their item was dated 6th June and the law was repealled since then.

 

[Larby]

The ferries have them and insist they are required, THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED

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[Geo]

I'm afraid they are, you try crossing the channel without a Ferry

 

[pappajohn]

In my view, the RAC etc, Halfrauds, ferries bought thousands when the law was introduced.
Now its been scrapped they have a stockpile and don't know what to do with them so of course they will push them as a legal requirement in the hope drivers are ignorant of the new law... Which of course, most are.

 

[Allanm]

They gave up in France because if you were caught you could still keep driving if you bought a smaller car.

You used to be able to drive a Voiture Sans Permis if you lost your licence for drink driving but it is up to the judges now to decide if you lose your right to drive completely
you can still drive them at 14 though!

 

[travlinman]

got stopped last year on a small back road in France for spot breath check and was not asked to produce a breath test kit.

 

[Emmit]

ohh sh$$t I only ever carried one.

Straight up cough then. You're nicked.
Not for not having one, but for not having Two, Eh?

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[Emmit]

I'm afraid they are, you try crossing the channel without a Ferry

According to the BBC, loads are trying.

 

[Phod's]

Having read most of the responses and looked again at website re French law etc etc..........it all does seem quite farcical and does appear to have been repealed but so many sites still say it IS law, AA, RAC and the like all of whom are obviously out of date with any current legislation (or simply need to flog of their stocks of kits, as suggested by someone previously)
It seems that they never imposed fines and have subsequently repealed the law but one website states, although the law change was thought to be immediate, it does not actually become law(or actually not law anymore) from April 2020.
Typical French bureaucratic bs but given that I have one that's in date and they are only a fiver, I'll not risk a roadside disagreement with a disgruntled copper who is getting wound up by gillet jaunes and is worried about his own pension benefits.......this obviously assumes that he's not on strike!!!!!!

 

[Mike800966]

Well, yes. Its been known for a while that particular bit of French Law was dodgy but whatever?
Dont forget that if you wake up here in UK feeling a , shall we say "hungover" they might just give confirm that you should stay out of the drivers seat for a few more hours. Especially if someone else is demanding that you are ok and should take them somewhere.
I beleive that a lot of commuters in the UK get nicked "the morning after" and the Police do automatically breathalyse if called, even to a non fault accident.
Mike & Ann

 

[DJA]

Well Phod's you had better be careful. When you get stopped by the disgruntled Hocifer if he asked you to use the one you have what are you going to do then? His disgruntled mate could stop you 20 metres down the road and hassle you for not having one. Oooops!!

By the way many were annoyed about the law when they found out it was a mate of Sarkosy who's company made the breathalysers.

 

[Just smiffy]

Yay..... does that mean I’ll be ok with my crate of San Miguel beside me now...?

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[maison]

Well Phod's you had better be careful. When you get stopped by the disgruntled Hocifer if he asked you to use the one you have what are you going to do then? His disgruntled mate could stop you 20 metres down the road and hassle you for not having one. Oooops!!

By the way many were annoyed about the law when they found out it was a mate of Sarkosy who's company made the breathalysers.

That’s the main reason the law was dropped. If you carried two and “his disgruntled mate” stopped you and then his disgruntled mate stopped you you would have to carry a third and so on. Totally farcical.

The French, in their usual, admirable way, just ignored the lot.

 

[filopastry]

Any stocks of these obsolete products will be out of date now thinks me. Learn the french shrug lifting both shoulders at the same time say "BOF" ...that's the response to all things considered foolish or not worthwhile.

 

[Vipar]

If and when it was is law you actually needed 3 because if mr plod breathalysed you with one of your kit then as you drove away you only had 1 so you could be nicked for only having 1. Not 2
If I had been a copper I would have nicked you because I am a b*****d?

 

[SpeedyDux]

Any stocks of these obsolete products will be out of date now thinks me. Learn the french shrug lifting both shoulders at the same time say "BOF" ...that's the response to all things considered foolish or not worthwhile.

A very good point re the expiry date after which the test kit will no longer conform to the NF. The one I bought when it was a legal requirement is well expired now.

That begs another question - are UK retailers like Halfords, AA, RAC, Ferries ordering new stocks of Ethylotests to replace expired ones? If so, why?

 

[frogijock]

The law was first introduced by the then new minister for road safety, he then passed a law that kits were only legal if made by one factory, consequently found to be owned by his B.in L. The factory could not supply enough kits so rather than allow more factories to produce them, he (minister) kept putting back the starting date for the law, which in typical French fashion eventually got lost in someone’s desk, never to be seen again.

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