Despite the economic recession, La Manche remains one of the most popular tourist attractions in France for those who want to take a quick break from the UK. The destination is very easy to reach thanks to regular ferries and the Channel Tunnel. It is very common for people to take a trip to enjoy some of the fantastic food and wine available in France.
People who’ve driven to the country should be aware that France has stricter drink-driving laws then the UK. Despite this stricter attitude towards drink-driving, the country still has a serious problem with people driving after drinking alcohol.
The French government have recently announced that they are going to be introducing a new law which has been designed to tackle the drink-driving problem. This law is going to stipulate that from 1 July all drivers will have to carry a breathalyser kit when they are driving in France.
Those who do not have a breathalyser will be fined just over €10. This isn’t a significant fine but if you are not carrying a breathalyser then the French police will be able to breathalyse you even if they do not have a reason to think you are drunk.
It is expected that this is going to significantly increase the number of people being prosecuted for drink-driving the morning after. It is also likely to catch more people who’ve had a glass of wine with lunch and then decide to drive.
This move is something that has been planned for a long time and most people are welcoming it as it will be a way to reduce the number of people drink-driving. The number of deaths on the road, despite stricter drink-driving laws is significantly higher in France and the French government have been looking at tackling the problem for a very long time.
