France's bold drink driving legislation - every car to carry a breathalyzer
85 replies, posted
[IMG]http://i.istockimg.com/file_thumbview_approve/8348061/2/stock-photo-8348061-drunk-driving.jpg[/IMG]
[QUOTE]It is a great irony that alcohol should be legislated into becoming man's most commonly used recreational drug, as [B]it's the ONLY drug that causes more harm to others than to the user[/B].
This is most evident on our roads, where even in first world countries with low road tolls, alcohol still accounts for between a third and a half of road deaths. Now France is to attempt a novel solution - from July of this year, [B]it will become law in France to have a working breathalyzer in every car on the road[/B], with enforcement beginning November 1.
It may sound extreme, but the world is fast running out of tolerance for the massive global road toll in general and the part of the road toll directly related to alcohol in particular.
A 2006 report entitled Alcohol in Europe by Anderson and Baumberg estimated [B]the cost of alcohol-related harm to the EU's economy at EUR125 billion[/B] in 2003. At the time, that was the equivalent of 1.3% of GDP for the entire Union. That's a high price to pay, particularly if alcohol is not your poison of choice.
The total was derived by including all factors, including losses due to under performance at work, absenteeism, premature death ... not just road deaths.[/QUOTE]
[url]http://www.gizmag.com/france-breathalyzer-legislation/21541/[/url]
It states it's a requirement for every driver to have in their car when out on the roads, and after using the breathalyzer you need to dispose of it and get a new one. I spot a fatal error right there, you'd discover your under the legal limit but then be without a kit thus meaning you can't drive away!
Let's just fix cars that drive without humans behind the steering wheel. Then I might feel safe on the fucking road.
[QUOTE=Moby-;34898851]It states it's a requirement for every driver to have in their car when out on the roads, and after using the breathalyzer you need to dispose of it and get a new one. I spot a fatal error right there, you'd discover your under the legal limit but then be without a kit thus meaning you can't drive away![/QUOTE]
Err, the plastic mouthpiece is the only thing you replace, the device itself stays
HAHA you stupid drunks
this will be an easy circumvent
"hey kid want to make five pounds? Blow into this for me"
[QUOTE=GeneralFredrik;34898913]Let's just fix cars that drive without humans behind the steering wheel. Then I might feel safe on the fucking road.[/QUOTE]
oh god not an iCar
So, you have to have one, but don't have to use it and it doesn't have to be hooked to the car?
I think they're planning something like this in Norway as well. Been talk about it.
[quote]Police will begin issuing fines in France from the beginning of November, and it's interesting that the required "kit" includes not just a working breathalyzer, but a range of accessories that we should, as good citizens, always carry on board a car anyway: a first aid kit, fire extinguisher and and spare bulbs for both headlights and blinkers.[/quote]
Wow, spare bulbs? Really? How fucking ridiculous.
[quote]Last month, the French authorities also introduced a new law banning satellite navigation systems that show the location of speed cameras, and are apparently very keen on plans to track speeding vehicles by satellite.[/quote]
Speed cameras should be illegal to begin with. There are a thousand reasons to temporarily increase your speed beyond the legal limit. None of which can be determined by the camera.
[quote]The idea is that every time a French driver gets in their car after having a drink, they will have a device with which to test if their blood alcohol content is over the mandated blood alcohol limit for driving in the country - 0.05%.[/quote]
You are either wasted to the point where it will show in your driving, or you aren't. Chances are, if you are enough gone to be pulled over or cause an accident, you don't need a fucking breathalyzer to tell you that.
[QUOTE=GunFox;34899312]Wow, spare bulbs? Really? How fucking ridiculous. [/QUOTE]
I agree with you otherwise, but I see nothing wrong with spare bulbs. I see too many people with some of their tail lights missing, and it's not like cheap bulbs cost anything.
[quote]Police will begin issuing fines in France from the beginning of November, and it's interesting that the required "kit" includes not just a working breathalyzer, but a range of accessories that we should, as good citizens, always carry on board a car anyway: a first aid kit, fire extinguisher and and spare bulbs for both headlights and blinkers.[/quote]
Breathalyser is a silly thing to have but all the rest should be standard kit.
First thing I do when I get a new car is to pick up a little set from Halfords which contains spare bulbs for all the lights and spare fuses and pop it in with the spare tyre. It's not very expensive (~£20) and it means if you blow a fuse or a bulb they're at least handy. Having a set in your car is helpful.
[quote=Gunfox]Speed cameras should be illegal to begin with. There are a thousand reasons to temporarily increase your speed beyond the legal limit. None of which can be determined by the camera. [/quote]
I think that in plenty of circumstances speed cameras are a bit silly but I disagree that there's a lot of reasons to temporarily increase your speed past the speed limit.
[QUOTE=MrEndangered;34899394]I agree with you otherwise, but I see nothing wrong with spare bulbs. I see too many people with some of their tail lights missing, and it's not like cheap bulbs cost anything.[/QUOTE]
My headlights are likely to outlast the life of my vehicle.
My tail lights are banks of LED bulbs. Also capable of outlasting the life of the vehicle and I don't even know if I could replace the individual bulbs without serious equipment.
[editline]27th February 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=mike;34899399]
I think that in plenty of circumstances speed cameras are a bit silly but I disagree that there's a lot of reasons to temporarily increase your speed past the speed limit.[/QUOTE]
Ever been a small car on the freeway with 18 wheelers? There are plenty of reasons to speed up and overtake certain vehicles.
[QUOTE=JohnFisher89;34898940]HAHA you stupid drunks
this will be an easy circumvent
"hey kid want to make five pounds? Blow into this for me"[/QUOTE]
I wouldn't go near a drunk wanting me to blow into something for him. Especially if its stuck somewhere in his car. And if he had a friend with him who could blow into it, the friend would be the one driving or hopefully he wouldn't be letting his drunk friend drive.
[QUOTE=GunFox;34899587]My headlights are likely to outlast the life of my vehicle.
My tail lights are banks of LED bulbs. Also capable of outlasting the life of the vehicle and I don't even know if I could replace the individual bulbs without serious equipment.
[editline]27th February 2012[/editline]
Ever been a small car on the freeway with 18 wheelers? There are plenty of reasons to speed up and overtake certain vehicles.[/QUOTE]
but you can overtake without breaking the speed limit...
and you're absolutely right about the LEDs, but i somehow doubt you'd be expected to carry spare LEDs because (as you correctly say) they're not user replaceable.
but carrying spare bulbs for your dipped/full beam headlights, fog lights etc isn't really a huge burden.
[QUOTE=mike;34899664]but you can overtake without breaking the speed limit...
and you're absolutely right about the LEDs, but i somehow doubt you'd be expected to carry spare LEDs because (as you correctly say) they're not user replaceable.
but carrying spare bulbs for your dipped/full beam headlights, fog lights etc isn't really a huge burden.[/QUOTE]
If the vehicle in the lane next to you is going the speed limit, and you are going the speed limit, then overtaking them would be impossible. Slowing down would be ill advised and dangerous when there is a large truck coming up on you. There are always reasons to break the law and there need to be police officers on the ground using discretion for it to be an effective system. Blind justice isn't justice.
Replacement bulbs can cost 90-150 bucks for exotic lamps. This is a significant sum of money for an item that can possibly be damaged for the extended period it rolls around in your trunk.
It is just generally very silly.
[QUOTE=GunFox;34899793]If the vehicle in the lane next to you is going the speed limit, and you are going the speed limit, then overtaking them would be impossible. Slowing down would be ill advised and dangerous when there is a large truck coming up on you. There are always reasons to break the law and there need to be police officers on the ground using discretion for it to be an effective system. Blind justice isn't justice.
Replacement bulbs can cost 90-150 bucks for exotic lamps. This is a significant sum of money for an item that can possibly be damaged for the extended period it rolls around in your trunk.
It is just generally very silly.[/QUOTE]
if, by chance, you get caught speeding under such a circumstance, why not appeal in civil court
it's not that big of deal to keep roads safe tbh
[QUOTE=Moby-;34898851]It states it's a requirement for every driver to have in their car when out on the roads, and after using the breathalyzer you need to dispose of it and get a new one. I spot a fatal error right there, you'd discover your under the legal limit but then be without a kit thus meaning you can't drive away![/QUOTE]
If you are going to rip a joke straight from Top Gear, don't use one that was aired yesterday.
I don't see why they can't do something similar to what they do here in Canada, if you get convicted of drunk-driving, you get a Breathalyzer lockout device installed on your car at your expense, or lose your license.
Cheaper, and more cost-effective.
also in regards to this breathalyzer thing, i think it's pointless to some people who don't drink/drink casually and don't get wasted
the only people who should really have this are people who have been caught driving absolutely drunk, because they're the actual dangers to the road
[QUOTE=squids_eye;34899929]If you are going to rip a joke straight from Top Gear, don't use one that was aired yesterday.[/QUOTE]
I don't watch Topgear.
[QUOTE=GunFox;34899793]If the vehicle in the lane next to you is going the speed limit, and you are going the speed limit, then overtaking them would be impossible. Slowing down would be ill advised and dangerous when there is a large truck coming up on you. There are always reasons to break the law and there need to be police officers on the ground using discretion for it to be an effective system. Blind justice isn't justice.
Replacement bulbs can cost 90-150 bucks for exotic lamps. This is a significant sum of money for an item that can possibly be damaged for the extended period it rolls around in your trunk.
It is just generally very silly.[/QUOTE]
I don't drive so this could very well be a stupid question, but why do you need to overtake a car if it is already going at the speed limit?
[QUOTE=GunFox;34899793]If the vehicle in the lane next to you is going the speed limit, and you are going the speed limit, then overtaking them would be impossible. Slowing down would be ill advised and dangerous when there is a large truck coming up on you. There are always reasons to break the law and there need to be police officers on the ground using discretion for it to be an effective system. Blind justice isn't justice.
Replacement bulbs can cost 90-150 bucks for exotic lamps. This is a significant sum of money for an item that can possibly be damaged for the extended period it rolls around in your trunk.
It is just generally very silly.[/QUOTE]
i can't envisage a scenario in which the situation you describe would happen if the driver involved is showing foresight. if there's a huge lorry coming towards you from behind, they should move into a faster lane and overtake you! you're not obliged to break the speed limit!
the argument about headlights is mostly irrelevant - my thought on the matter is that having a small set stashed away in a case in the spare wheel compartment is useful - in the same way that having a first aid kit and additional engine oil can be helpful. it's not going to affect you if you're not going to travel to france.
How exactly does this system work. If you'd accidentally let the engine die, you'd have to go through that whole start process again?
[QUOTE=GunFox;34899312]
You are either wasted to the point where it will show in your driving, or you aren't. Chances are, if you are enough gone to be pulled over or cause an accident, you don't need a fucking breathalyzer to tell you that.[/QUOTE]
I don't get your point? Should we leave it to the driver's discretion to pull over if they feel too drunk?
[QUOTE=squids_eye;34900053]I don't drive so this could very well be a stupid question, but why do you need to overtake a car if it is already going at the speed limit?[/QUOTE]
I drive down the interstate a lot. Not every car goes exactly the same speed. For instance if I'm doing 65.5mph, and the car in front of me is going 65.1mph, I'm eventually going to catch up to them. When I'm on the interstate I use cruise control, and it's easier for me to hit the accelerate button a couple of times to pass the car in front of me so I don't spend all day getting around them. Once I complete the pass I'll return to my previous speed. It's just more comfortable that way, and I'd feel creepy trying to match their speed exactly and ride their ass for 100 miles.
[QUOTE=PvtCupcakes;34901328]I drive down the interstate a lot. Not every car goes exactly the same speed. For instance if I'm doing 65.5mph, and the car in front of me is going 65.1mph, I'm eventually going to catch up to them. When I'm on the interstate I use cruise control, and it's easier for me to hit the accelerate button a couple of times to pass the car in front of me so I don't spend all day getting around them. Once I complete the pass I'll return to my previous speed. It's just more comfortable that way, and I'd feel creepy trying to match their speed exactly and ride their ass for 100 miles.[/QUOTE]
Oh god, so you're one of those people who pull into the fast lane to pass a guy going 65 by going 66, leaving me who was going 80 to have to slam on the brakes and wait while you slowly wander oast him, stay in my lane for an extended period only to finally cruise back in to the slow lane.
[QUOTE=McCarthy;34901411]Oh god, so you're one of those people who pull into the fast lane to pass a guy going 65 by going 66, leaving me who was going 80 to have to slam on the brakes and wait while you slowly wander oast him, stay in my lane for an extended period only to finally cruise back in to the slow lane.[/QUOTE]
Perhaps you shouldn't be going 80 then, genius.
[QUOTE=GunFox;34901486]Perhaps you shouldn't be going 80 then, genius.[/QUOTE]
Why the fuck not? what gives you the right to determine how fast i go? Speed limits were set for the most part in the 1950's-1960's during a time when there was a fuel crisis and cars were much less safe at speed than today.
What if a serial killer is quickly approaching your car and you need to escape but OH WAIT BREATHALYZER.
They should integrate it with the ignition, if it was proven to be reliable enough.
My friend had one of these, I had a good few beers at his house and was well over the limit. He had a breathalyzer and it told me I could still drive :v:
The ones they expect people to buy will hopefully be reliable!
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