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Don't even think of drink driving or speeding in France. Why on earth would you want to anyway ? Have you got any plans to kill other human beings and risk your own life just for the hell of it ?
The French government has cracked down on drink driving and they will fall on you like a ton of bricks ( it used to be a huge problem and has now improved beyond measure ) . Same with speeding. The fine if you caused an accident whilst drunk is up to 30,000 Euros.
Random checks are extremely common and no most of the Traffic police will not speak English ( why should they ? this is France). You will be asked for your papers and made to take a breathaliser. Don't even think of refusing.
Thanks to those sensible measures the number of deaths on French roads has gone down substantially and it is now one of the safer countries in Europe to drive. It has stopped many of the morons and jerks who think it is OK to drink and drive or speed from being such a menace on the road. As far as I am concerned anyone who drinks and drive should be thrown into a jail and someone should throw away the key.
Thousands of avoidable deaths every year are caused by some irresponsible cretins who have no business driving, it is basically attempted murder.
France is no longer soft on drunk drivers and speed freaks and good for them.
This is taken from a website about living in France :
Drinking & Driving in France
Beware of the change in attitudes!
The relaxed attitude to drinking and driving in France has surprised and sometimes delighted many foreign visitors. Tales such as the account in ‘A Year in Provence’, where policemen were helping drunk partygoers into their cars at the end of a village meal were not rare. But things have swiftly changed, since the French government pledged to lower the terrifyingly high number of deaths on French roads.
Now, roadside police checks have now become common, and penalties for driving under the influence are harsh. The death toll has been drastically reduced by these checks, along with the introduction of speed cameras, and the strictly upheld drink driving laws.
It is strange that prison sentences and fines have proved more of a deterrent than the possibility of being killed, maimed, paralysed or causing some else’s death! Nonetheless, if you decide to take the risk of driving whilst over the limit, you also risk a two year prison sentence - more if you’re involved in an accident.
The blood-alcohol drink-drive limit in France is 0.5 grams/litre (lower than the UK limit of 0.8g), and means that you can be breaking the law on two glasses of wine. You are liable for prosecution if you are over or equal to this limit.
Possible penalties:
Blood/alcohol level between 0,5 g/l and 0,8 g/l = fine of €135 (and the loss of 6 points on your licence if resident in France).
Blood/alcohol level is in excess of 0,8g/l = 2 years in jail, €4,500 fine, the confiscation of the vehicle (and the suspension of the licence or the loss of 6 points if resident in France).
Blood/alcohol exceeds the legal limit, and a presence of banned narcotics (drugs) is detected, the penalty could include: 3 years in prison, €9,000 fine.
If you cause an accident while driving over the limit, the fine could be increased to €30,000.
If you cause serious physical harm or commit involuntary manslaughter (you kill someone while driving), penalties may be: 10 year prison sentence and a fine of up to €150,000
If you refuse to take the breathalyser, there may be further penalties.
How to behave if I get stop by traffic police in France for example speeding or if they want to check if I'm drunk?
Do they speak English?
Don't expect most of them to speak English - some may, but I don't think it's the majority!
But if you show them your driving license straight away, they'll understand you are a foreigner and might figure out you don't speak French. Show them the vehicle's documents too, oh, and don't forget to stop the engine first thing.
Blood/alcohol level is in excess of 0,8g/l = 2 years in jail, €4,500 fine, the confiscation of the vehicle (and the suspension of the licence or the loss of 6 points if resident in France).
Wow !!! people going to France that's $5,870.00 hard earned american dollars.
That would really mess up a vacation. 6 points, geez, they ain't playin'.
Don't even think of drink driving or speeding in France. Why on earth would you want to anyway ?
Obvioulsy i don't want to do it.. But who on the Earth never exceed permitted speed and don't drive after couple of beers/glasses of wine?
Actually a lot of people do not drink at all if they know they will be driving.
Even a couple of glasses slow your reflexes quite a lot and your judgement becomes less clear.
I grant you most human beings will speed at some point in their lives but then again if you break the rules you pay the price. You can't really complain when you're the person in the wrong.
My Husband got done recently for doing 34 miles an hour in a 30 miles per hour zone near us and he just had to shrug it off, apologise and accept he knew he was breaking the rules. C'est la vie. Those rules are there for a reason. Speeding does cost thousands of lives every year , I really don't have a problem with speed limits being enforced strictly. We all make mistakes but then we pay for them. Seems fair to me.
In France it is also impossible to claim you didn't know the speed you were supposed to as there are constant signs as reminders. Including the speed limit in rain which is also lower.
My husband much prefers driving in France ( especially since the rules have been tightened and you no longer have to fear for your life- French drivers used to be some of the worst in the West) because the roads tend to be faster and emptier than in the UK.
The Motorway system is incredibly efficient ( thoguh oyu have to pay tolls) and he always comments how much less tiring it is for him. We have driven many times from Provence to Brittany in less than a day's drive with him still rested at the end of the day.
In the UK he would have to constantly stop and would be exhausted on arrival.
Around the cities there can be a lot of traffic but if you avoid rush hour it is usually very fluid also.
Random checks are extremely common and no most of the Traffic police will not speak English ( why should they ? this is France).
Simply because English is an international language. I worked in Israeli police and cops there also excpected to understand English to some degree, even though this is Israel .
and in Nothern Europe not only police, but almast everybody speaks English
Location: God's Gift to Mankind for flying anything
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Originally Posted by MapleLeaf
Don't even think of drink driving or speeding in France. Why on earth would you want to anyway ?
Obvioulsy i don't want to do it..
Then why are you asking in the first place ???
But who on the Earth never exceed permitted speed and don't drive after couple of beers/glasses of wine?
Uhmm ... Just because you are a person who does not care to stay within the law, does not mean everybody else has the same habits !!!
My opinion ... Go to France ... Behave like somebody who does not care, and suffer the consequences !!!
Haff phun
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