French drivers forced to carry Breathalysers

[CarolF Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close CarolF]

Drivers in France are from Sunday obliged to carry breathalysers in their cars, in the latest measure aimed at cutting the number of alcohol-related deaths on the road.

The idea is that with a breathalyser in every car, drivers who suspect they may be over the limit can test themselves and if necessary refrain from taking the wheel.

The previous government, which gave the go ahead, said it hoped 500 lives might be saved every year.

The kits come in two types: expensive electronic ones, which can be reused, and cheap chemical ones, which cost about $2.

Tens of millions of breathalysers are going to have to be supplied, but there is currently a shortage.

The government has put a four month grace period in place until demand can be met.


http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-0...lysers/4103314

[Ridewithme38 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ridewithme38]

I love this idea! This kids can make it a contest, who can blow the highest before the school day is over! Or they can test it after each keg stand(do people still do keg stands?), before they have to go out and buy more beer

I've always hated the 'percentage' rule with Drinking and Driving, but even if i approved of it...i don't think this will make a difference at all, if someone is drinking and needs to go somewhere, they don't all of a sudden not need to go there anymore because of some breath test!

[CarolF Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close CarolF]

I love this idea! This kids can make it a contest, who can blow the highest before the school day is over! Or they can test it after each keg stand(do people still do keg stands?), before they have to go out and buy more beer

I've always hated the 'percentage' rule with Drinking and Driving, but even if i approved of it...i don't think this will make a difference at all, if someone is drinking and needs to go somewhere, they don't all of a sudden not need to go there anymore because of some breath test!

That is a really interesting response. I'm guessing your penalties for drink driving aren't very severe and the likelihood of getting caught isn't high. I think if the French ruling was introduced here, no-one would bat an eyelid. Lots of people carry their own breathalysers anyway.

Our legal drinking age is 18 and driving age is 16 years. The kids do use the breathalysers to check their consumption (and compete with each other I suspect). Most drink spirits rather than beer though and the penalties for drink driving are so severe that very few do drive when they are over the limit. Commonly, one person is the "designated driver" and they drive everyone home.

Drink driving is really frowned upon here and our mobile random breath testing stations sometimes surround the whole city. I got breath-tested at 8.45am on a Monday morning on the way to work last week. My DS thinks it's amazing that we all drove around drunk in the 1970's and no-one thought anything of it.

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

That is a really interesting response. I'm guessing your penalties for drink driving aren't very severe and the likelihood of getting caught isn't high. I think if the French ruling was introduced here, no-one would bat an eyelid. Lots of people carry their own breathalysers anyway.

Our legal drinking age is 18 and driving age is 16 years. The kids do use the breathalysers to check their consumption (and compete with each other I suspect). Most drink spirits rather than beer though and the penalties for drink driving are so severe that very few do drive when they are over the limit. Commonly, one person is the "designated driver" and they drive everyone home.

Drink driving is really frowned upon here and our mobile random breath testing stations sometimes surround the whole city. I got breath-tested at 8.45am on a Monday morning on the way to work last week. My DS thinks it's amazing that we all drove around drunk in the 1970's and no-one thought anything of it.

I wouldn't pay much attention to Ride's post. He just likes to stir things up.

The penalties for drunk driving in the US are pretty severe. The legal age for drinking adult beverages is 21 here and the alcohol limit is .08 which doesn't take much at all to reach.

[CarolF Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close CarolF]

The penalties for drunk driving in the US are pretty severe. The legal age for drinking adult beverages is 21 here and the alcohol limit is .08 which doesn't take much at all to reach.

We have zero tolerance for some groups and over 20 years ago the level went from .08 to .05 for everyone else. I think France has .05 as well.

[Ridewithme38 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ridewithme38]

My DS thinks it's amazing that we all drove around drunk in the 1970's and no-one thought anything of it.

I have VERY controversial beliefs about drinking and driving. While, yea some people shouldn't drink and drive, some people also shouldn't drive at all. Drinking and driving requires A LOT more skill then just driving does. I don't believe its as dangerous as others make it out to be, when compared to overall fatal car crashes it is a small minority that are alcohol related. Most of the people that don't have enough experience to be drinking and driving arnt out driving at 3pm on a Tuesday, they are drinking at 3am on a Friday or Saturday, when the bars/clubs close, the only people they are hurting are other people out drinking and driving

I have MAJOR issues with the "blood alcohol percentage" use with the law. I have 3-4 drinks every night after work, two when I get home and 1-2 more with dinner, on weekends its atleast a 6 pack a day and I've been doing this for atleast 10 years so I don't start feeling the effects of the alcohol till I'm already over the .08 I've built a high tolerance, I drive over .08 all the time. I have gotten a DWI. I have friends who don't really drink, two drinks and they are sloshed.

It's bull that an experienced drinker should be held to the same numbers as someone who never drinks.

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[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

I have VERY controversial beliefs about drinking and driving.

Gee, who would have thought that?

[mark555 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mark555]

I will appreciate the thought.In this way driver,traveller and the other citizens will be saved from any type of hazard and accidents.I strongly agree and in favour.

[Tony Mayer Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tony Mayer]

I think drink driving has been thoroughly demonized and for good reason, but how many of us have had a drink and drove home? Personally, when I'm in the Spanish countryside and driving home, I see no one on the roads and I'm only a danger to myself, and if I so wish so, so bloody well be it!

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

Was out riding to a project one day with another person who had gotten a DUI. There was a breathalyzer installed in his car. When the car was operating the breathalyzer would randomly start beeping (about every five minutes on average) and he had about 30 seconds to pick up the unit and breathe into it, or the car would start to slow down and eventually stop.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

Sounds sound to me. DWI can't be entirely avoided, but for those who would rather not and would appreciate the opportunity to monitor intake and avoid crossing the line, all the better as required by law... I am all in favor!

[Ridewithme38 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ridewithme38]

A persons ability to drive can not be defined by such an idiotic standard as just blood alcohol content. It's too general and does allow for the multitude of difference not just in body chemistry, but also in experience. How would you like it if the government decided that the 'average' person had bad sight at night so you must now were special glasses at night to drive or you will lose you license, even if you can see well. That the same kind of generalization the government is making with the BAC laws and its just not fair to those of us who CAN see fine.

While obviously I'm not going to make a generalized statement, for me .08 is NO WHERE NEAR the point where I can't drive safely or responsibly. For them to restrict my drinks with dinner or a nice night out because other people are idiots isn't how America should work.
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[dboy1 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dboy1]

interesting opinions on drinking and driving. Not sure if you guys are having a serious conversation or just pulling everybodys leg

[MaryH Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close MaryH]

When I was in bizschool in France, one of the guys were drunk at a party and was driving home but wrapped himself around a tree and suffered some brain damage.

[Ridewithme38 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ridewithme38]

When I was in bizschool in France, one of the guys were drunk at a party and was driving home but wrapped himself around a tree and suffered some brain damage.

I bet he had WAY more then 4 beers over an hour...

My main point is that there are OTHER, BETTER ways to test if someone can drive, some are those are used now...Walk a line, hold up your leg and touch your nose, etc., You know, those things that ACTUALLY test someones ability to drive...the BAC is a farce and should NEVER have been included, it IN NO WAY measures someones ability to drive