Drivers heading to France have sent
sales of breathalyser kits soaring - as they seek to avoid falling
foul of new motoring laws.
Halfords has sold double its annual
sales target in just one week and is selling one kit every minute of
the day. The leading car accessory retailer has rushed extra stock
into stores to cope with the unprecedented demand.
The new legislation came into force on
Sunday July 1st and will affect anyone intending to drive in France
this summer.
Halfords last week launched a campaign
to make drivers aware of the new laws as a survey revealed a worrying
six out of ten (59%) Brits travelling to France, weren’t aware that
they now had to carry two NF approved breathalysers at all times.
Failure to do so results in an on the spot 11 Euro fine.
French Police have warned they will be
carrying out random checks on drivers crossing into France via
ferries and through the Channel Tunnel to enforce the new rules.
The Breathalyser is the latest in a
long and growing list of items that drivers are legally required to
carry when travelling abroad. The list includes high visibility
jackets, warning triangles, spare bulb kits, headlight converters and
GB stickers - all incur on the spot penalties if motorists are
discovered to be without them.
The survey showed a widespread lack of
knowledge of foreign driving laws. One in five (20%) drivers hadn't
fitted headlamp convertors. Whilst over a quarter (26%) of motorists
who wear glasses to drive, didn't have a spare pair with them, which
is a legal requirement in Spain.
One in ten (9%) of us wrongly presume
the alcohol limit for drivers in Europe will be higher than at home,
when it’s actually considerably lower in France, Germany, Italy and
Spain.
With a third of Britons saying they
would allow a 17 year old to driver their car unaware that they’d
be breaking the law because the legal age for driving in France is
18.
AlcoSense NF Single Use Breathalyser
(Twin Pack) Retail Price: £5.99
Halfords’ Guide to Driving Abroad is
a pocket size guide which provides handy hints on continental driving
and guidelines to road rules in France, Germany, Spain and Italy. The
free guides are available to download from www.halfords.com
The French drink-driving limit is 50mg
of alcohol in 100ml of blood, substantially less than the UK limit of
80mg. Motorists found with a level of between 50mg and 80mg of
alcohol in their blood can be fined 135 euros (£112) and lose six
out of 12 points on their driving licence. A driver who is over the
limit in France also risks a
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