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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