Holidaying in France? Don't forget your breathalyser

Updated
Holidaying in France? Don't forget your breathalyser
Holidaying in France? Don't forget your breathalyser

PA


British holidaymakers heading to France will now be required to carry a breathalyser kit in the car, according to new rules.

The kits - available from ferry and train terminals from £1 to £2 - will be obligatory for all motorists in France from July 2012, according to the Daily Mail.

Anyone caught without a kit, which drivers will use to make sure they are under the drink-drive limit, will be fined €11, but police are giving everyone a period of grace until November before they start enforcing the penalties.

At 50mg, the drink-driving limit in France is 30mg lower than in the UK. Drivers found with between 50mg and 80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood can be fined €135 (£112) and get six points on their licence, while drivers with over 80mg of alcohol face fines of €4,500 (£3,744) and a two-year prison sentence.

British tourists are often caught out with the many rules required for driving in France. It is already obligatory to carry a warning triangle and a fluorescent safety vest (which must be in the main section of the car, not the boot), while Brits must display a GB plate and have their headlights adjusted to the right.

What's more, the French last month introduced a law that banned the use of satnavs that showed the location of speed cameras, introducing a €1,500 fine if a driver is caught with one in their car.

We're sure we won't be put off - after all, France is still the most popular place for Brits to buy a holiday home.


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