Breath test kits obligatory in cars

It was thought that this legal requirement would come into effect from 1 April 2012, but it now seems it has been deferred to 1 July, see http://www.thelocal.fr/2725/20120301/.   From that date drivers will have to carry a breath test kit in their vehicles  as part of new measures by President Sarkozy to cut the roads death toll.

Other measures include 400 new speed cameras, the introduction of new-generation radar units that work from moving police cars and measures to bring in automatic speed reduction systems in cars. The president also said he was looking at creating a national day for road death victims.

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The French word for a breathalyser is

L'éthylotest

Together with the fluorescent jacket and warning triangle, the breathalyser will soon join the mandatory equipment in your vehicle's glove compartment from this Spring.   The breath test sometimes called a breathalyzer should allow drivers to assess their blood alcohol before getting behind the wheel, thus avoiding many fatal accidents on the roads.

The news came late in November 2011, during a road safety ceremony. Having rewarded the most active politicians in the fight against road accidents, Nicolas Sarkozy announced a series of measures to reduce the number of road deaths. Of these, the focus is prevention measures against drink-driving. Early in the first quarter of 2012, an alcohol test will become compulsory on board each vehicle. It will allow motorists to control their blood alcohol before taking the road and then a conscious choice whether they can drive or not depending on their condition.

 
2 breathalysers mandatory for every car

The law of 2012 stated: Drivers will have to equip their vehicles with at least two breathalyzers, one to test their own blood alcohol before getting behind the wheel, the other for roadside checks. Failure to  comply with this law means exposure to a contravention of the first category, amounting to 17 euros. It would be a shame to risk a fine especially when you know that a pair of breathalyzers cost about 2 euros! The breath test may be chemical or electronic, the only necessary condition is NF approval. In general, you blow into a balloon and it measures the rate of alcohol per litre of expired air. Remember, the legal limit for drink-driving is 0.5 g alcohol / liter of blood, equivalent to 0.25 g of alcohol / litre of expired air.

 
Breathalyzer chemical or electronic?

 
- The chemical breath test

A single use, it is mostly reliable and easy to use. Namely: after drinking alcohol, it is recommended to wait at least 15 minutes before testing. Simply blow into the ball to find your blood alcohol level. The breathalyzer has a chemical reagent and a tube with a balloon tip. Once the air cleared the ball through the chemical test, the tube changes colour depending on the level of alcohol present in exhaled air. The higher it is, the more the reagent turns green.

- The electronic breathalyser

Is an electrochemical sensor that calculates by the concentration of alcohol in the blood. These measurements are more accurate, more reliable, subject to investing in a good model NF approved. The electronic interlock is often favoured because of its high accuracy in other European countries. Unlike the chemical test, it can be used up to several hundred times, which explains its higher cost. It just requires more maintenance. The tips, for example, must be replaced regularly.

http://www.mistersmoke.com/lethylotest-devient-obligatoire-dans-toutes-voitures-i-79.html