Alcohol breathalyser law suspended

NOT surprisingly, the law requiring motorists to have an alcohol breathalyser in their vehicle has been kicked into the long grass.

Interior minister, Manuel Valls, has postponed the legislation to enable the Conseil National de la Sécurité Routière (CNSR) to look at just how effective the measure could be.

The legislation was set to come into force in the middle of last year, but people found it difficult to buy the kits and so at first it was proposed that drivers would be advised about the rules for the first few months.

Once this date passed it was still proving difficult to track down the kits and so another postponement was put in place.

Now though, Manuel Valls will wait on the report from the CNSR as to whether drivers will require an alcohol breathalyser in their cars.

Comments

[J Roger Clifford-Banks]

You mean I've wasted all that money? Mine came from Halfords in England.... I think they were the only people who had them!

[Phillip Carr]

The relatively short 'shelf-life'; the huge temperature variations in a car; the needing two in case you used one; who was going to use one anyway?: how very French. And how refreshingly un-English for the Government to back down on a silly idea. Vive la différence!

[Clare]

Typical! Just after We found some in Super U last week!:

[alan davies]

I WENT TO FRANCE & TRIED TO PURCHASE A "KIT" IN FRENCH SUPERMARKET, WAS TOLD DONT BOTHER NO FRENCH CAR DRIVER WILL GET THEM,SO WE DO NOT STOCK THEM! SAME MESSAGE FROM OVER 9 CAR,CHEMESTS & SUPERMARKETS. THAT WAS OCT 2012. ALAN DAVIES.

[Fedupbrit]

This was a ridiculous law, pushed through by the guy whose company makes the damned things. What they didn't tell you was that if the breathylisers were stored in the car they were probably useless anyway, as they became faulty at less than 5 degrees or over something like 25 degrees. I was told this by a VERY reliable source. So basically if you were stopped and asked to use one, the chances are you would get fined or worse as you had defective equipment,it also had to have a specific number on it or couldn't be used, so ones bought abroad probably wouldn't have been acceptable(Sorry J.Roger Clifford-Banks). The law was totally unworkable and, as I understand it, a way for one scum bag to make loads of money. Even the French hated this law. I am glad I refused to buy one.

[Craig McGinty]

It really has created just a right old mess, hopefully the idea will never see the light of day again.

[Paul James]

I had no trouble buying this kit off ebay last summer, approved for the french market.

[Neil keeton]

We all should claim our money back from the French government they are great at wanting the uk to do what they want

[John Barnes]

The law is a very good idea because it creates awareness and makes drivers take responsibility for testing their alcohol limits before getting behind the wheel.