Tough New Measures on Drink and Driving in France

The Government has announced a number of tough new measures in the battle against drink-driving, including impoundment of the vehicle and compulsory installation of an ‘alcolock’ immobilisation system. The measures have been announced as part of a Government target to bring down to less than 3000 by 2012 the number of deaths on the road each year. Last year, 4612 people died on the road, with alcohol believed to be the cause of the accident in around 25% of the deaths. The Government has also stated that the sale of alcohol in service stations is to be banned, and they are to double the number of automatic speed traps, from 2500 to 5000. Drivers from abroad also come under the microscope, with the Government proposing that EU wide measures be introduced to impose a stronger system of penalties on foreign plated cars. Although no details are available, the plans will be tabled by the French Government when it takes over the Presidency of the EU in June. The details of the proposals on the impoundment of vehicles are equally vague. The Government has stated it will only be applied against recidivists who have previously been found guilty of a drink-driving offence. Drivers caught drink-driving (+0.5g/l) already face temporary immobilisation of their vehicle but, under the new proposals, a court will be able to order that the vehicle is impounded for a prescribed period. The risk of impoundment will also apply to those found to be driving substantially in excess of the permitted limit, as well as those driving without a permit, or driving under the influence of drugs. The proposal for compulsory installation of an ‘alcolock’ system on a vehicle will also only apply to those offending more than once. The device is a vehicle breath monitoring system, which prevents the vehicle from starting the motor if it detects the driver’s breath is over the limit. The driver is obliged to blow into the device, and only a negative test result will allow the motor to start. The cost of installing the system will be around €1000, a cost which will have to be borne by the driver. The monitoring system is to be installed on all school buses by the end of 2009, and consideration is being given to its more widespread installation on all commercial passenger carrying vehicles. Discotheque owners are also to be required to install breath testing equipment outside of their premises. Service station owners are already outraged about the proposal to ban alcohol from their forecourt shops. At present, they are permitted to sell alcohol between the hours of 0600 and 2200 and, for many rural stations, the sales are a significant part of their total revenues. Nevertheless, this is clearly a proposal aimed at reducing alcohol related accidents amongst young people, many of whom tank up with cheap alcohol from a late night service station before then going to a disco.