 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I just do not follow the logic - "The French government hopes that with breathalysers in every car, drivers who suspect they may be over the limit can test themselves and if necessary refrain from taking the wheel." 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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What a load of garbage, total sticking plaster approach! Do the French government really believe this will work?
Can just see the local farmer in his 2CV with a bottle of local red inside him after a long lunch going for this!
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ADAC has put out a notification on this this week and said that the ones being sold are total garbage. They are not even remotely accurate and have warned German drivers NOT to rely on them. Simple solution they offered is to nominate a driver who sticks to non-alcoholic drinks. Also said to buy them at the border as the ones being offered here or outside of France are over-priced for what they are.
Basically a sham move to generate income and indicate that they are going to "clamp down" on drink driving! Watch out for controls just over the borders though for the time being or in times when the Caisse is low! Keep an eye on the Use-by date as well as they will also fine you if it is out of date!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Definitely a scam. Already seen news articles linking the top bloke at one of the Mfrs to some guy called Sarkozy 
Use by date is about 1 year or so. I have no intention whatsoever of actually using them, and the same is probably true of many millions of French drivers. I have no intention of replacing them after any expiry date either. If stopped I'll just plead ignorance, and say I hadn't spotted the date in the corner of the packet.
€4.50 in ADAC shop and £5.99 (=€7.50 approx) in Halfrauds. Not sure what the exact fine is, but I've heard numerous figures: €11, €12, €20. Whichever it is, the Halfrauds price for a twinpack is a very significant portion of the equivalent of a fine.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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You are supposed to carry 2 of them.. so actually if you ever intend to use them you need to buy 3, as if you use one and then drive off you still need to have 2...
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Max auto in Moutiers is selling them for 1.50 each so worth getting then if you are out here (although they are currently sold out!)
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I don't think I know anyone who has ever been checked or fined for not having spare bulbs, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, yellow vests, yadayadayada. Lots of foreign visitors to Austria ignore the winter tyre rules but you don't see wholesale booking going on. Likewise I don't know anyone who got stopped in the UK over the kids' booster seat regs. These are things most people just comply with and the law makers know that so just the act of making it a regulation does the trick. There will be a small flurry of activity from French cops in December and then the things can just sit next to that spare bulb kit and be forgotton until you die. I'll be ignoring it due to simple mathematics... a highly unlikely 20 Euro fine is way cheaper than a few years of buying them.
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BBC said it's €11 (although as mentioned before, I've seen various figures up to a staggering €20 )
They only come in 2 packs. Thought you only need 1 (but everyone says you need 2 in case you use 1, which nobody in their right mind ever will, apart from trying them out for a laugh).
Between now and November, I say don't bother, but pick some cheap ones up in a French supermarket (if they're back in stock), if you're concerned and intend going there regularly, or for friends, etc.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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According to FCO website - the requirement is for one, but they recommend two in case you use one. Tried to buy some in France last week - according to a helpful chap in Roady at Bourg there are none left in France and he expected a delay before the law can be enforced. Have seen an ad on the back of a Torygraph rag which had them at 5 for 6 quid I think.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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£6.85 with free delivery on Amazon. I'm feeling huffy about having to buy them, though.
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ouch.
need a prize for the first person who can find a 2-pack for sale at more than the price of the €11 fine
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You know it makes sense.
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Just to give you an idea of the competence of the French Gendarmerie. A friend of mine got knocked off his bike yesterday by a 77 year old woman. It was just after lunch and she had clearly been drinking. She wanted to drive off until blocked by the car of an eye witness. Gendarmerie called (they only had to drive 1 km), the woman had no papers, no id. The Gendarmerie failed to do a breath test and let the woman drive off without any further checks having heard she lived "in a posh part of town".
Of course if she'd been Arab it might have been a different story.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Make work for the french as apparently there are only two factories in the world that make the kits........................you guessed
Both of them are in france!
Apart from the skiing and there is nearly as good elsewhere in Europe - do not know why anybody bothers with france these days - an expensive and bureaucratic shadow of its former self living on reputation and little else - funnily enough all went wrong when they went into the euro - vive the franc (don't know whether it was male or female so stuck th english "the"!).
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Poster: A snowHead
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pam w, you can borrow our set Pam! Won't need them again till September.... that is if I get home at the end of the week without using them. We got them at Halfords in Chi.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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If I rent a car in France, do you think the rental company will provide the breathalyser, reflective vest, first aid kit etc ?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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countryman, The ones I've seen are from South Africa! So that blows that idea out of the water. It is a cash cow idea for sure though.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Seen Czech ones too
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Crusader, When the vest law came in hire cars had them, no doubt they will be selling the breathalysers because of the short use by dates on them.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The fine is €11 as mentioned above..Anything more than a couple of euros isn't worth paying...
Edit: And personally I won't bother. You'll only be caught if you're stopped for something else. Keep your nose clean (so to speak) and the low risk/low fine doesn't make it worth spending the money.
Slightly different story for residents..
| countryman wrote: |
| Apart from the skiing and there is nearly as good elsewhere in Europe - do not know why anybody bothers with france these days - an expensive and bureaucratic shadow of its former self living on reputation and little else ... |
| davidof wrote: |
| Just to give you an idea of the competence of the French Gendarmerie.... |
The French really need to review their attitude... despite their best efforts, whining brits keep coming back for holidays or even to settle..
This just isn't good enough...
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FAQ
