With effect from July it will be compulsory to carry breathalyser kits on any motorised vehicle in France (the idea being that you test yourself before you ride or drive).

http://www.deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws.english/news/120222_Sarko

You'd all better make sure that the reflective jackets that you buy for the 70th anniversary have got plenty of large pockets to carry the compulsory crap in. If you leave it in your tent when you pop down to the beach, then you're in trouble.

Have the French forgotten that they were on the side which won the fight against totalitarianism ?

This stupid rule will apply to tens of thousands arriving in Calais and spending twenty minutes in France before they travel on to other parts of Northern Europe.

Dear Oh Dear..Another dumb idea. I wonder where you buy a self breathaliser kit in the UK?... ...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

You can bet your life that they'll sell them on the ferries for five times the price that they are in France...They're probably illegal in the UK as the British Government takes the view that it would encourage people to drink up to a limit.

You have to have two by the way, so that when you've used one to prove that you haven't had a drink for a week, you've still got an unused one to prove that you could still check yourself since the last time you checked that you didn't have a drink...

It's about as much use as the French requirement to carry a spare set of light bulbs now that 90% of the population couldn't change it if they had to...which makes me wonder. Do owners of the expensive cars with the blue HID lamps have to carry a left and a right complete lamp unit as a spare ?

so i have had a drink use my breathliser it tells me its ok to driver i get stopped a few miles down the road by the police and fail how would i be able to proove that my breathliser told me that it was ok to drive re bulb does it say the bulbs have to fit the car

The French President must be a head case..Forcing drivers to buy and carry a self breathiliser kit in a country of wine and cider drinkers doesn't seem like the best way to get votes. It's unlikely he will emerge victorious from the upcoming general election..hopefully this law won't last much longer...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

I have heard of dumb, but this is pure dumb ass!

email (option): britool51@hotmail.com

on tv they were discussing this problem someone said he could remember in the 1970s an anti drink campain in france the posters said only have 1 bottle of wine with your lunch

Thanks for that Dave. For £1.99 including post I thought it was worth ordering one. I wonder if it passes French law? I don't much care if it doesn't!! Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

It probably won't comply Ron. The French requirement is for individually packed single-use testers with, apparently, quite a short 'use before' date so it won't just be a once in a lifetime sale for the manufacturer (who is bound to be French). There will be constant repeat business.

I'm just trying to imagine the scale of lobbying, kick-backs and free whores that have helped French Government ministers to arrive at this well thought out decision.

Don't forget we are in Europe, our government will think it is a good idea. Watch out for the government white paper.

Don't we pay our taxes for our police to have them? Surely if we have to buy them in the UK it would be seen as another form of taxation, so I don't think they'd go down too well in the UK!

email (option): davmax@ntlworld.com