France’s New Breathalyzer Law

Could international efforts to combat drunk driving affect how we fight the problem on US soil? In France, a new law now requires all drivers to carry two breathalyzer kits in their vehicle. It’s a unique – and controversial – approach that aims at getting drivers to check their own alcohol level before getting behind the wheel and driving while impaired. French drivers are given a four-month grace period to purchase the kits. Those who don’t comply after that time can be fined 11 euros (roughly $14).

France is known for its wine production and consumption. The country is now also becoming known for drunk driving deaths – something officials want to stop. There were approximately 4,000 road deaths in France in 2011, with around 30 percent of those being alcohol-related.

Critics of the new law question the ability of inebriated drivers to self-police and make sound judgments. Others complain that it’s simply a boon for breathalyzer manufacturers and an inconvenience since the product is already in short supply in France.

That hasn’t stopped some US advocacy groups against drunk driving from wishing a similar law was in place here, citing its ability to save lives. Drunk driving continues to be involved in one-third of traffic-related deaths in the US, or roughly 11,000 deaths per year.

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