DRIVING to ski this half term? Better read on.
The last thing you want en vacances is a tussle with les garcon en bleu, so before your business car turns into a holiday car, you should be aware of some changes to French road rules.
And while we’re at it we’ll dust down the driving-in-the-snow manual too.
The new laws
From July 1 2012 it’s been a requirement for all drivers to carry a breathalyser kit in the glovebox.
It’s now a requirement to carry a breathalyser kit when you drive in France
The kit must have two disposable breathalysers. The breathalyser must meet NF standards (similar to the BSI here in the UK) and carry NF certification. So make sure it has that.
Wherever you drive on the continent, limits are generally lower – 50 rather than 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.
There are differences with speed limits, and speed detection too.
The speed limit on a French autoroute is 130km/h (that’s 80mph on your speedo). However, when it’s wet it drops to 100km/h (just under 70mph) and to 90km/h (56mph) if you’re towing.