Breathalized in France

Roseandpeter

Roseandpeter

Joined
Nov 30, 2015
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Shropshire
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A Class Hymer B594PL
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Since 2010
Yesterday afternoon, on entering Aire de baie de somme, the police were stopping every vehicle on the slip road in and breathalizing the driver. First time ever been breathalized.. .
Incidentally, the motorhome services were completely sectioned off and out of action. they looked as if they were being removed.
 
Roseandpeter said:
Yesterday afternoon, on entering Aire de baie de somme, the police were stopping every vehicle on the slip road in and breathalizing the driver. First time ever been breathalized.. .
Incidentally, the motorhome services were completely sectioned off and out of action. they looked as if they were being removed.
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Out of interest, what was your reading?:)
 
Dont know the reading, just that it beeped and we were told we could go on our way. It was quite funny as the police man kept saying 'you must souffle', before we understood what he wanted. Thought we were on a an episode of ready steady cook :)

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Did they use their own breathalyser or the one you were supposed to carry? ;)
 
Their own..im glad they didnt ask to see ours. We havent got one!
 
TheTwoOfUs said:
Did they use their own breathalyser or the one you were supposed to carry? ;)
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They always make you use theirs.
It is a properly calibrated machine and far, far more accurate, so would stand up as evidence in court.

They never ask to see the rubbish little chemical ones that you used to be supposed to carry, as that old law is moribund, and was never enforced.
 
Welcome to the "Breathalysed by the Flics" sub-section of FUN! :welcome3:

We ought to have another sticker or T-Shirt ... :D
 
Ha I knew I needed to check my spelling...

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of more interest to me is whats happening to the aire as we useually stop there against all the dire warnings.
 
Difficult to assess whether the service point will still be there at the end of the works. At the moment it is cordoned off and inaccessible .
 
Let me know when I can get my t-shirt. Was breathalysed a few years ago, right hand drive toad , and first of all he went to the passenger side,then asked if we were English. Obviously, hadn't looked at registration plate
 
I was checked on a Saturday night near Barcellonette, heading from France into Italy. Very courteous, quick and efficient. On my way again within minutes unlike the line of local cars which were being subjected to much more rigorous additional checks.
Quite happy to see such 'proper' policing rather than the stupid automated camera fines for minor transgressions.
 
Would he maybe have had greater success rate breathalysing folk on the way out?:beerchug:

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I have been breathalysed twice in the last four years in France. Both times were afternoons and both were planned operations whereby every vehicle was stopped. That is different to the UK whereby the police must have suspicion of a driver being OPL and cannot (legally) carry out random stops. What amazes me is the speed of the whole thing - two minutes maximum if you are clear. No cautions, no explanations, no checks of persons or vehicle. Back in my previous life if I carried out a breathalyser check the whole thing would take at least 15 minutes roadside plus the time spent filling in the stats forms back at the station.

Regards the aire having work carried out; more and more aires are falling into the hands of private companies such as 'Flotte-Bleu' and 'Camping Car Park.' First thing they do is put up a barrier that you need a bank card to access. Second thing you notice is that the price has gone up - around €8 just to park for 24 hours is the norm. And while they are at it, they will close any amenities such as toilets or free water taps. The last Flotte-Bleu we stayed on was €8 to park in a marked bay not much bigger than the vehicle, €2 for electricity and / or water and just to take the pee, or not as the case may be; another €2 to access the black waste hatch. Even the rubbish bins were padlocked shut.

So to park within 1 metre of another van, use electricity for 2 hours, take on 100 litres of water and dump your black waste would be €14. You can find private camp sites with expansive grassed pitches, toilets and showers, free water and waste facilities at around €12 per night.
 
So that's the answer then. Although notwithstanding your comment the size of the parking bays, I don't consider €14 excessive for those facilities.

Malcolm
 
We stopped at the Relais de Beaulieu for lunch today and they were doing a roaring trade. Set price basic lunch for €11.50 each with help yourself salad starter, main with chips or peas of shark steak, veal paupiette or roast pork, cheese board and dessert with bottle of water and carafe of wine thrown in. Everyone seemed to be drinking most if not all of their wine! No wonder they need random breathaliser tests!
 
The Nomad said:
They always make you use theirs.
It is a properly calibrated machine and far, far more accurate, so would stand up as evidence in court.

They never ask to see the rubbish little chemical ones that you used to be supposed to carry, as that old law is moribund, and was never enforced.
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They must have a different system to the UK. The calibrated roadside units over here don’t provide an evidential reading for court purposes, only grounds to arrest. The evidential sample (breath/blood/urine) comes from the station, after arrest.

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I got stopped for a random breath test driving into Exeter one evening in the run up to Xmas. Lady policeman asked me to wind down the window and waved me on when she could smell no alcohol. I asked to be tested as never ever done one and she happily obliged and showed me the Zero reading
 
Kingham said:
How quickly things change once us old timers are out of the loop :LOL:
That was just coming in as I was winding down....
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Many years ago they used to stop every car at the roundabout just off the A1 in Hatfield i used to catch it every time coming home from shift work it was Christmas time about 1977ish
 
When I lived in France in the 80s, I think it was mandatory to have a drink before driving; Red at night, rose in the morning
 
I was picked out on a training course to be breathalised - why is it always me???

I was handed a capful of whisky which I dutifully swallowed ( :-) ) and told to blow into the tube.

'Big breaths' said the instructor.

Have you ever tried blowing when you are doubled up laughing along with 50 other trainees? :-)

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Kingham said:
They must have a different system to the UK. The calibrated roadside units over here don’t provide an evidential reading for court purposes, only grounds to arrest. The evidential sample (breath/blood/urine) comes from the station, after arrest.
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Yes indeed. Each country is free to make it's own national road traffic laws; and judicial processes.
The British laws and judicial processes only apply within Britain.
 
they have always done random breath tests Ihad a blazing row with a policeman over this, followed me for two miles before pulling me over and the arrived at the window with a breathalyser in hand i knew i hadnt had a drink and he was basing it purely on the place i had left Of course i couldnt refuse to give a sample and obviously zero
 
So if you fail a breath test abroad does the ban apply in the UK or only the fine and is it the same in or out of the EU. If it is not registered with DVLA would you tell your insurance company ? . I received a speeding fine and 3 points in OZ two years ago paid the fine but no points added .
 
wanderer said:
So if you fail a breath test abroad does the ban apply in the UK or only the fine and is it the same in or out of the EU. If it is not registered with DVLA would you tell your insurance company ? . I received a speeding fine and 3 points in OZ two years ago paid the fine but no points added .
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They can't ban you as they didn't issue your licence.
But they hurt you. A lot.....
What they do to you as a foreigner (at least in Spain) instead is to arrest you immediately, keep you in Guardia cells or often after a few hours/days transfer you to prison (you seriously REALLY do not want to be a nice middle class white English guy in a Spanish prison), until a Judge hears your case, and fines you a MASSIVE amount of money in lieu of the driving ban that Spanish licence holders would get. Once you've paid the (say) €5,000 or often even more than that fine, they let you out of prison.

Be careful. The limit in most mainland European countries is 50mg, rather than the 80 that still applies in England.
 
So they fine and imprison foreign nationals but not Spanish for the same offence

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