by Arash Hekmat
It’s easy to forget when driving across Europe that there are still laws that apply to one country which will not be present in another.
While caravanners may think that crossing the Channel requires little more than a switch from driving on the left to the right, this is in fact not the case.
One of the most high profile laws that could catch out motorists is a relatively new one – the introduction of a mandate in France at the start of July that all motorists including visitors from the UK must carry at least two breathalyser kits with them.
French police are currently carrying out spot checks of cars coming into the country from the Channel Tunnel or by ferry, and once the grace period ends in November, spot fines will be handed out.
This is part of efforts to clamp down on drink-driving in France, where the legal limit is already lower than in the UK: 50mg of alcohol for every 100ml of blood, as opposed to 80mg here.
Many would like to see the UK brought in line with the rest of Europe when it comes to drink driving laws but in the mean-time caravanners are urged to remain aware of the rules of the road in any country they intend to visit.
As the Caravan Club advises: “Really, if you want to indulge on holiday (understandably so) then leave driving for another time and simply have a nice glass of wine during a warm evening outside of your caravan.”
