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Important News Items

Important news for any motorists (bikes and cars) travelling to/through France.

From 1st July 2012, a new law comes into force in France requiring all motorists to carry (and use if applicable) portable breathalyser equipment.

No, it's not a spoof, and it's not April 1st. The kits cost around €2 each and will be available at ports, but if travelling in from, say Holland, you won't find them at the border! They can be bought online here in the UK, but they must carry the French approval stamp. So far only two brands appear to have this approval.

From July to November you are likely to be given only a warning if you don't have the kit, after that you will get fined. There are NO exclusions due to religious beliefs and practices.

You will probably need at least 2 of the devices, as if you use one to test yourself before setting off one morning, and that is the only one you had, then you fall foul of not carrying one.

It appears to be almost routine that you will get breathalysed after almost any motoring offence. The police carry their own testers (like in the UK). This new law is not a replacement for the police checks, but is designed as a motivational drive to cut down on drink/driving in France.

It is already compulsory to carry a warning triangle (cars only) and a high viz vest (cars and motorbikes) in case of accidents, this is just one more thing to have on your checklist.

As an aside, if you are in a car, carrying your high viz vest in the boot is no good, as you would have to leave the car to retrieve it - defeating the letter of the law that says you should wear the vest when outside the car following a breakdown or accident. Apparently many French motorists have their vests on the rear parcel shelf, or on the back of the driver's seat, where the police can clearly see them.

For us on bikes, it makes sense to always wear the high viz vest when riding - saves packing it.

If you know any more details on this story, or if there are any errors in the above, please contact me at webmaster@pan-clan.org

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