I am off to France next week on a bike. Do any of you guts know if the helmet reflectors and personnel breatherlizers are still required?

When we tried to buy the breathalysers on the Ferry earlier in the year. We were told by Brittany Ferries that stocks have long run out and that the authorities will not be prosecuting anyone for not having them. Another French law that has fallen by the wayside! Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Pete, as far as I can tell, the alcohol tester rule is on the books but has never been enacted. The helmet stickers are a requirement and they are certainly included on all helmets sold in France....but no-one has ever heard of anybody being prosecuted.

All the French police did in Normandy was wave to us, and I don't think anyone was doing reflective !

Not yet law but the government are trying it on again with fluorescent vests and they're talking about reducing the speed limit on ordinary roads from 90kph to 80kph...Slow side-valves are the future of motorcycling !

As already said the breathalysers are not enforced. But if you are using a modern helmet, especially with a modern bike, play safe and fit the stickers. A pal with the same was stopped almost immediately he left the boat back in July. Luckily he had some in his pocket and fitted them there and then. But he says the officers who stopped him were very shirty about it and is sure they would have ticketed him if had not got any. The other side of the coin is another bunch of blokes I know who did a full tour without any of them getting stopped at all. Opinion in some quarters is that it will be near the ports if anywhere that an issue is likely to occur. Away from them things are more relaxed. How you might go on if you were unlucky enough to be in an accident I don't know. I think then the foreign biker without the correct gear would be fair game and totally to blame for everything, including the bad weather. In that respect you have to plan for a worst case situation, or at least be prepared to accept the consequences.

You can buy a pack of 2 breathalysers from halfords and Maplins for about £5

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

This breathalyser law takes the biscuit!! The law states that you should carry two kits so that you can breathalyse yourself. The moment you do that, you are now illegal as you only have one Who the hell is going to use one on themselves?? Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

The French effectively scrapped the breathalyser law earlier this year without actually removing it from the statute book...

They have stated they will not take action against anyone who does not have the kit....Ian

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

If you're towing in France, watch out for their illogical towing rules as well. Vehicles with a permissible maximum train weight over 3500kgs are restricted on the motorway to 90kph, even if towing a 750 kg unbraked trailer that would keep the total under 3500kg.

This means that if you're towing a bike trailer with a small saloon, you can legally (if not safely) drive at 130kph past Range Rovers pulling an identical load...

I know...I've done it with Ron...

I still wake up in a cold sweat some nights to the sound of exploding tailer tyres....

It reminds me of why I rarely put my bike on a trailer...I'd rather risk riding it.. ....Ian

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

Yep! Never had a trailer tyre blow out till I transported Ian and his bike TWICE!! I told him not to bring the bloody kitchen sink [:-) A sawn off toothbrush and a sloosh from your tin mug should suffice.

Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Trailers....the Devils work... ...The voices told me not to do it ...Ian

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

Thanks for the advice chaps. You possibly saved me a fine as I hadnt taken the sticker regulations seriously.

What worries me regarding putting stickers on helmets is that some types can degrade. I'm sure the French will worry about that. Not!