Breath testers mandatory in all vehicles from Spring?

[Russethouse]

Mine are coming from Amazon, but delivery was not quick so if you need them, you might want to order them pdq!

[BJSLIV]

I suppose that if you buy from Amazon you need to check that they are

1 Calibrated for the French limits.

2 Carrying the NF mark!

[Jo]

[quote user="Pads"]We looked and found the price in the UK was the rip off ... google them amazon sell them. In france I picked one up to keep in the car for 4e[/quote]

4 euros is a bit of a rip off[:(] most supermarkets are selling them at 1 euro. ( Intermarche )

[Russethouse]

It mentions that in the product description if I remember correctly

Edit: I paid £2.99

[AnOther]

Can't really see the point of buying any before the grace period is over and the penalty comes into force, but then I don't see the point of them period.

[dexter]

I came back Via the tunnel on Monday morning. The little burger/breakfast van at the departure area were selling the kits for £6.50!!

Dexter 

[Russethouse]

Can't really see the point of buying any before the grace period is over and the penalty comes into force, but then I don't see the point of them period.

 I've bought two as although we don't drive to France that often I do get calls, sometimes in the wee small hours, from the people who look after my mothers emergency alarm - it would be useful for me to know if I'm safe to drive, if I have had a drink the previous evening.  (These calls are rarely for real emergencies I hasten to add)

[Rabbie]

[quote user="Russethouse"]

Can't really see the point of buying any before the grace period is over and the penalty comes into force, but then I don't see the point of them period.

 I've bought two as although we don't drive to France that often I do get calls, sometimes in the wee small hours, from the people who look after my mothers emergency alarm - it would be useful for me to know if I'm safe to drive, if I have had a drink the previous evening.  (These calls are rarely for real emergencies I hasten to add)

[/quote]RH, While I  appreciate why you do a self test to make sure you are safe/legal to drive that does not seem to be the point of this law which seems to be a money saving exercise by the french police to make you pay for the  testing yourself if you are suspected of being over the limit.

[Russethouse]

 Gosh, and there was me thinking people at risk would test themselves and stay of the roads making them safer for all of us........[8-)]

Surely if one of these tests is positive the driver would be tested again using police equipment in order to obtain a conviction ?

[AnOther]

[quote user="Rabbie"]a self test to make sure you are safe/legal to drive that does not seem to be the point of this law which seems to be a money saving exercise by the french police to make you pay for the  testing yourself if you are suspected of being over the limit.[/quote]

Rabbie, I'm sure you appreciate that it's the French government who have make the law not the police but are you seriously suggesting that that is it's purpose ?

Although nobody seems to have seen an explanation of that - or if they have they are not telling - logically it can only be as RH says, to test yourself before getting behind the wheel. Whether it actually achieves anything meaningful or even measurable in terms of a reduction in drink related accidents and injuries only time will tell. Personally I suspect not.

I think that in the vast majority of cases it will be the professional and habitual drunks who are responsible for 99% of those not the hapless Joe's who accidentally imbibe 1/2 glass of wine too much and before anybody accuses me of condoning drunk driving consider for a moment that the limit in France is 0.5 mg per ml whilst in UK it is 0.8 meaning that at anything over 0.5 on one side of the channel you are instantly branded a drunk and a menace on the roads whilst on the other you are still some 40% below the limit and therefore still deemed perfectly safe to drive.

The semi arbitrary limits also completely ignore the differing effects of alcohol not only on men and women but also on each and every individual and whilst I'm obviously not suggesting that everybody have their own personal limit it does illustrate that it is a complex issue not likely to be much influenced by tinkering at the peripheries.

[Russethouse]

I wonder if fines will be bigger because, after all, every motorist will have the ability to test themselves and excuses along the lines of 'I didn't realise' wont count for much........

[andyh4]

[quote user="AnOther"][quote user="Rabbie"]a self test to make sure you are safe/legal to drive that does not seem to be the point of this law which seems to be a money saving exercise by the french police to make you pay for the  testing yourself if you are suspected of being over the limit.[/quote]
Rabbie, I'm sure you appreciate that it's the French government who have make the law not the police but are you seriously suggesting that that is it's purpose ?

Although nobody seems to have seen an explanation of that - or if they have they are not telling - logically it can only be as RH says, to test yourself before getting behind the wheel. Whether it actually achieves anything meaningful or even measurable in terms of a reduction in drink related accidents and injuries only time will tell. Personally I suspect not.

I think that in the vast majority of cases it will be the professional and habitual drunks who are responsible for 99% of those not the hapless Joe's who accidentally imbibe 1/2 glass of wine too much and before anybody accuses me of condoning drunk driving consider for a moment that the limit in France is 0.5 mg per ml whilst in UK it is 0.8 meaning that at anything over 0.5 on one side of the channel you are instantly branded a drunk and a menace on the roads whilst on the other you are still some 40% below the limit and therefore still deemed perfectly safe to drive.

The semi arbitrary limits also completely ignore the differing effects of alcohol not only on men and women but also on each and every individual and whilst I'm obviously not suggesting that everybody have their own personal limit it does illustrate that it is a complex issue not likely to be much influenced by tinkering at the peripheries.

[/quote]

 

ANO

I think you will find that the majority of prosecutions are for those drivers that are "just a bit" over the limit - and have indeed had 3 glasses of wine with dinner, rather than a bottle of scotch.

 

Rabbie - sorry but you have it all wrong.  There is no way the police will be able to rely in court or anywhere else on a privately held device.  They will be using their own fully calibrated and homologised testing to bring convictions

[Quillan]

I think that with such a low limit in France the simplest answer would be zero tolerance which I have a feeling (after the election and depending who wins) may be where they are going.

I was under the impression, having read the actual law which somebody finally found the link to, that habitual drinker have been dealt with by their vehicles being force fitted with a starting inhibitor connected to a breath tester and that the length of time it is installed is part of the culprits sentence.

I also think there is some confusion as to exactly when you should be using these devices. The law says a lot about buying them, having them in the car and the penalties for not having them but very little guidance as to when and how they should be used.

[AnOther]

[quote user="andyh4"]I think you will find that the majority of prosecutions are for those drivers that are "just a bit" over the limit - and have indeed had 3 glasses of wine with dinner, rather than a bottle of scotch.[/quote]

Perhaps so however I was not referring to simple DD prosecutions but to drink related accidents and injuries which are the real problem, not people driving home perfectly safely but getting stopped on the way and being found "just a bit" over which I repeat in France is barely over 60% of the UK limit.

[andyh4]

I admit that I do not know for France, but for the UK and Germany almost all DDs are found as the result of an accident - thankfully usually minor and with just damage to property and vehicles.

 

I should add that from a personal viewpoint I know that if I have had a glass of wine my driving is not as good as when totally sober.  I therefore do not drink and then drive.  But as you said earlier, everyone is different in terms of their build, absorption rates for alcohol and its influence.

[Quillan]

Since the shootings down here they also take a DNA swab at the same time as a breath test, funny how they don't bother with white people though. Don't know how legal that is but I for one would not refuse a man with a gun strapped to his waist.

[Rabbie]

[quote user="andyh4"]

[quote user="AnOther"][quote user="Rabbie"]a self test to make sure you are safe/legal to drive that does not seem to be the point of this law which seems to be a money saving exercise by the french police to make you pay for the  testing yourself if you are suspected of being over the limit.[/quote]
Rabbie, I'm sure you appreciate that it's the French government who have make the law not the police but are you seriously suggesting that that is it's purpose ?

Although nobody seems to have seen an explanation of that - or if they have they are not telling - logically it can only be as RH says, to test yourself before getting behind the wheel. Whether it actually achieves anything meaningful or even measurable in terms of a reduction in drink related accidents and injuries only time will tell. Personally I suspect not.

I think that in the vast majority of cases it will be the professional and habitual drunks who are responsible for 99% of those not the hapless Joe's who accidentally imbibe 1/2 glass of wine too much and before anybody accuses me of condoning drunk driving consider for a moment that the limit in France is 0.5 mg per ml whilst in UK it is 0.8 meaning that at anything over 0.5 on one side of the channel you are instantly branded a drunk and a menace on the roads whilst on the other you are still some 40% below the limit and therefore still deemed perfectly safe to drive.

The semi arbitrary limits also completely ignore the differing effects of alcohol not only on men and women but also on each and every individual and whilst I'm obviously not suggesting that everybody have their own personal limit it does illustrate that it is a complex issue not likely to be much influenced by tinkering at the peripheries.

[/quote]

 

ANO

I think you will find that the majority of prosecutions are for those drivers that are "just a bit" over the limit - and have indeed had 3 glasses of wine with dinner, rather than a bottle of scotch.

 

Rabbie - sorry but you have it all wrong.  There is no way the police will be able to rely in court or anywhere else on a privately held device.  They will be using their own fully calibrated and homologised testing to bring convictions

[/quote]My apologies if I got it wrong but in answer to a previous post in this thread I was told you had to have an UNUSED alcotester in your car if you were stopped by the police.  So I with my little brain jumped to the wrong conclusions and assumed that the tester would be used for a preliminary test.

 

[Russethouse]

Thats why you should buy two, because once you have used one, without a reserve you would not be legal.

[powerdesal]

Presumably, if you are stopped by the Police and initially required to use your 'unused' breath tester to show that you are not under the influence you are clear to carry on driving, but.........you will then not have an unused tester therefore cannot legally drive away !!!!!!

Perhaps the Law should in fact stipulate that TWO testers are required.

However, should you be subsequently stopped again whilst on your way to buy another spare tester ( to replace the one you used at the first stop ) you then cannot carry on driving because you then don't have an unused tester.

I know what I mean !!!!

[AnOther]

I know what you mean but I don't see that as the scenario.

The only logical purpose for the disposables I can see can be to test yourself before driving if you have had a drink but if the flics pull you and suspect you are under the 'fluence I think you can be sure that they will test you with their own machine not require you to use your disposable. If they did then personally I think I might refuse to. If I'm under I've wasted it and if I'm over then they are going to have to give me a proper legal test anyway.

You only really need two then if you do expect the be so testing yourself.

[HoneySuckleDreams]

This popped up in the local rag today. Typical, just after i'd bought a box

http://www.wort.lu/en/view/already-the-end-of-compulsory-breathalyser-kits-in-france-50b4a440e4b059b2ff114bd1

[Pierre ZFP]

I'm not sure they worked anyway.  A colleague here tried some (at home) when she had a group of friends over for some (many) drinks.  Not one of the testers changed colour!

[AnOther]

Well of course not, they are certified for use in France silly [:D][:D][:D]

[HoneySuckleDreams]

This rag again. Do you think I can return them and get my money back?

http://www.wort.lu/en/view/france-suspends-law-on-car-ethylotests-5101340fe4b0baeaf4e42e5e

[woolybanana]

Saw that a Hyper U was giving them away free with €20 of shopping thye other day. Whichever, they were a cr** idea, didnt work and kicking them into touch is about the only sensible thing that this government has done.