Just as a further comment on this, we have all received a notification at work regarding the administration of the new law as we operate a fleet of trucks and trailers which transit through France. We have been advised that all motorbikes, cars, vans, and HGV's must carry a single use, NF approved digital breathalyser, or NF approved breathalyser kit, by law, from 1st November this year. The law was confirmed by decree on 28th February, and will be enacted on 1st July to become effective from 1st November 2012... Only vehicles which are equippped with a breathalyser interlock system will be exempted from this requirement. After the 1st November, the gendarmerie will impose an €11 Euro fine on all drivers not carrying the kit. Paying a fine once, does not exempt the driver paying another fine if stopped again.. ie if the driver is stopped without a kit and is fined, and then is stopped another 5 kms up the road without having purchased the kit in between, another fine (more stringent) is likely to be imposed.. The main aim of the new law is to reduce the death rate in France which is approx 4000 fatalities per year, and drink driving is believed to be a contributory factor in around a third of them.
It is very important to remember that drink/drive limits vary between all EU member states, and all equipment carried in the vehicle must be calibrated to French requirements - i believe the legal blood / alchohol limit in France is 0.5 grams per litre compared to 0.8 grams per litre in the UK.
We have been advised that stocks of French calibrated breathalyser equipment will remain low in the UK until July this year, as the priority is to ensure that the 30 million drivers in France have one first !!
Wherever the equipment is purchased from,
IT MUST BE NF APPROVED and be clearly marked with an expiry date. Failure to have the corrrectly approved / expired kit will also result in a fine