Busted!!
Driving home tonight from dinner I was stopped in our tiny town by the gendarmes to blow in the breathalyzer. I can't speak French and he could not speak American, so it took a while to explain how to blow into the tube properly.
I had one glass of wine a few hours earlier and so was a bit nervous, but I showed zero and they let me go on my way.
Dodged that bullet.
They are much tougher on drinking and driving in Europe than in the US.
France has a lower legal limit for drink drive blood alcohol levels so simply do not drink and drive as even one drink can put you over the limit. See new rules about the legal drink driving limits here.
New Fine Amounts
Drink drive offences €4,500
Driving under the influence of drugs €4,500
Watching a screen that isn't a driver aid (Sat Nav) €1,500
Improper use of a mobile telephone €135
Not wearing a seatbelt €135
Using headphones €135
Listening to loud music so you can't hear traffic €75
Eating while driving €75
Applying make-up, even if the vehicle is stopped at traffic lights etc €75
Yet More Traffic Light and Speed Cameras
Any traffic lights in France you go through are far more likely to have a camera on them in the near future. That on top of the ever increasing number of speed detection cameras, including a substantial increase of late in the newer style "average speed" cameras, will be yet more reason to take things nice and steady as you drive through France in 2015.
National Speed Limit Changes
The French equivilant of our ministry of Transport are also going to lower the national speed limit on single lane minor roads from 90km/h (which it is now) to 80km/h.
drive-france.com
No comments:
Post a Comment