Breathalysers All motorists driving in France will need them from July 2012

Harry, as far as I understand the speed camera data on most sat navs is not any sort of detecting device, just a location built into the database, so would not emit any sort of signal. Another reason to update the database fairly regularly.

 

Canada's impaired limit is 0.08, blow that or more and your done.

Alberta new laws will give you an immediate license suspension until the matter is settled in court (may be up to 2 years). Convicted drivers would then have to participate in a mandatory ignition interlock program (paid for by the offender), where their vehicle will not start if they have any alcohol in their blood.
Repeat offenders also face escalating penalties under the proposed legislation. Drivers convicted of impaired driving for the third time will have to participate in the vehicle interlock program for five years.

Alberta will soon, and British Columbia has already instituted 0.05 to 0.08 laws.
Drivers with a blood alcohol content between .05 and .08 face penalties, including licence suspensions ranging from three to 30 days and short-term vehicle seizures. They will also have to take part in driver education programs, if they are caught a second and third time.
And enforcement of this law is at the officers discretion, no judge, jury, or lawyer can help you.
Driver must also pay all storage, towing and fines.
Laws are even tougher on new drivers.

B.C. is even nastier, after a couple of offences it will cost a driver upwards of $4-$5,000.00 to get their car and license back, pay to attend courses, and pay the fine, and buy the interlock device.

W

Wayne,

I wasn't aware that the western provinces had become that severe!
While you cannot defend drunk driving, it really has become the "crime de jour" in Canada. While the movement for tougher sentences originated with victims families, it has now become something of a cottage industry and with an obvious 'anti-alcohol' bias becoming more and more evident. I tend to become wary of these campaigns when they focus on one cause at the exclusion of all others. Frankly, with 20% of the population considered to have anywhere from a drinking problem to outright alcoholism, eradicating drunk driving may ultimately require long incarcerations.

As I commute 40 km every day among people engaged in reading, shaving, cellphone calls, manicures, texting, make-up application, nose picking, sexual acts, conversations or simple inattention, I'm not sure where the bigger threat lies!

 

Looks the breathalizer manufacturing lobby is quite powerful in France.

 

Looks the breathalizer manufacturing lobby is quite powerful in France.

Contralco, a French company!!, expects to sell 62 million units in 2012!

Watch out Apple.

 

I've never seen a French person who has broken down wearing a hi-viz.
Only seen brokendown brits with their hi-viz on.

Can't say I've noticed but to be fair though I always see the hi-viz jackets hung on the back of the drivers seat. Ref the cameras in France I've set loads off - especially on my bike !

Check out the video

Kawasaki Commercial - YouTube

 

Driving and drinking stays dangerous,even in France...
No control inside the cities,(generally),but a lot outside in the campaign where a lot of people are drunked 24/24 ...Like in Britanny,i know that you agree with me,hehehe...
I think you Brits,don't risk a lot with the french law,cause the police will have too much work with us,frogs,to "waiste" time with you and alcohol control.

 

Well - will skip France for a while, I think.

Most stupid rule ever seen - don't see how this will stop alcohol abuse in traffic.

Typical - someone probably is making lots of money from this.

 

Bought mine from Halfords other day, bloody con that was.
Still I'll be driving through France to get somewhere else soon.

''The hills are alive with the sound of music....''

Doe a Deer

 

No evidence that the police were checking vehicles to ensure that accessorories were being carried when I was in Brittany last week.

However my son was picking up a relative from Dinard airport.Observed no checks mounted on going into the airport.But suddenly found a check organised on leaving the airport.All vehicles were checked but it would appear that the motivation was to ensure that you were who said you were.My son was carrying no documents which were asked for (vehicle insurance and ownership).He was carrying his driving licence and this was taken away to their vehicle, presumabily to check it...name and unique number perhaps.Returned it and said he was free to go.Police appeared to be quite cordial and showed no interest in the mandatory items such as breathalyser etc.

On thing I noticed from my last visit to Brittany about 18 months ago was the advertising campaign regarding road deaths.On all major roads,particularly in Finistere was roadside messages declaring 1 in 3 road deaths are associated with alcohol while the other message being forced home was the declaration that 1 in 3 road deaths are associated with excess speed.

Can't say that I saw any examples of bad driving from visitors or locals in Brittany.Perhaps the exception would be motor bikes who unfortunately tail gate. I'm always pleased to let them pass as soon as I can accomodate them.

Then on our return saw a boy racer with a highly tuned car with a noisy exhaust to boot, overtake me while driving on the Fosse Way and continue to overtaken at least four other vehicles crossing double white lines in a known high risk area where sufficient roadside notices are displayed indicating danger.

 

There is a very good article for motor bikers in France in today's Telegraph by Kevin Ash entitled "Taking the fun out of France".

It would appear that from 1 January 2013 that motor cyclists will be required to wear reflective clothing whilst driving.

Acording to the article,Sat Navs which show the location of a speed camera location is illegal and it suggests that these should be disbled by switching them off.....refer to a paper map,it suggests.

 

I have just returned from a ten day motorbiking trip with two friends. We travelled from Dunkirk to the Pyrenees and found the police were showing a huge presence. We were personally stoped twice, on both occasions by two police motorcyclists who were pulling traffick in as they saw fit. I guess motorcyclists were fair game. They were very polite, saluted and asked for log book, license and insurance by name; they appeared to understand what they were looking at. They did not ask to see breathalyser kits, spare bulbs etc but did ask that we take our helmets off and got very close to smell our breath for alcohol. Once happy, they saluted and told us we could carry on

We passed many other such "road blocks", normally in their vans and normally near the routiere restaurants after lunch where the Plat de Jour includes wine!

French motorists are very good and flash their lights to let you know the police are ahead. I have heard a rumour that the French computer which deals with speed cameras will soon be linked to the British Police computer.

Steve

 

Regarding speed cameras and the presence of the Gendarme.Last week I was driving on the Vannes/Port Navalo road in the Golfe du Morbihan.The road is a fast,dual carriageway and has been uprated recently,a good road to get to the coastal resorts.However driving down this road in a section, limited to 70km/hr,I was flashed repeatedly by oncoming traffic.Then coming to a roundabout, I found a Gendarme stationed on the roundabout whose role appeared to pull culprits in who had been picked up on the mobile speed camera.I would think he did not get much business on that day.

Roundabouts appear to be one of the favourite places for the Gendarme to observe traffic without being obvious.Motorists approach the roundabout and can suddenly find a Gendarme stationed to their right. Usually plenty of room on these roundabouts to pull in any motorists for a check or speed offense.The French appear to love more and more,the roundabout,its always available to tag on any future road development.

Other times I have witnessed what I thought at the time was special units,once saw the CRS viewing traffic again on a roundabout.Obviously on the look out for something of a greater priority than the motorist.

 

Harry,
I have just returned from two weeks in Brittany and was on the Vannes road several times.

You are correct about the speed cameras, but I found that most French kept to the limits with just a small minority that went a lot faster, but they obviously knew where the cameras were sighted.

I had my satnav which informed me of the fixed sights and mobile sites used.

Regarding the self breath tests, I was informed by a local that there were insufficient manufactured and therefore not enough to go around, hence the 6 month warning period.

Regards
Tom

 

Make sure you stow your Hi-Viz jackets under your front seats,not in the boot of your car. This is another scam the French traffic cops have lightened on to raise revenue for their retirement fund.
Thanks for the advice WOWTank, we were going over in september to retrace my Dad's route through Normandy WW2, but have decided to be harassed by our own ex military police in the west country instead.

 

NR,

I should not let this discussion persuade you to abandon your trip to retrace your father's footsteps.Generally, the Gendarme will not harass the tourist and I would think you have to be infringing speed and alcohol limits to have a problem.Just as Britain being picked up by speed camera leaves no room for discretion by the Gendarmes...In France apparently, you will be fined on the spot.

Some reports in British newspapers give adverse reports on the situation as regarding driving in France quoting the formal prerequisites for driving.I have to say that I have never seen a French car displaying a high visability jacket and recommendations that the jacket should be stowed on view is misleading.The jacket should be carried in the car just as the warning triangle is.It does not need to be on display.

There appears to be a number of battered cars being driven by locals which would not be allowed on British roads.I cannot see the types driving these cars complying with the prerequisites.I would think there would be ample workload for the Gendarme to check out these types...they are still on the road year after year.

For more information have a look at the French web sites.For Normandy,search for Normandy tourism,it should raise a few official sites.