British drivers have been issued with an urgent warning when travelling to France this summer as they could be 20 times more likely to be breath tested.
Thousands of Britons are expected to travel across the English Channel this summer for their holidays and to watch the Summer Olympic Games, taking place in Paris over the next two weeks.
According to the French Embassy in London, arrivals in France from the UK are expected to hit 13.4 million this year, the highest level for a decade.
However, British drivers could find themselves being stopped by the police on a regular basis when travelling through the country, according to new data.
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More than 500,000 Olympic tickets have been allocated to UK residents
REUTERS
Research suggests that French police test over 100 drivers per 1,000 population, compared to just five per 1,000 in Great Britain.
The drink driving limit across Europe is also much lower than in England and Wales, meaning drivers could be caught out when travelling on French roads.
This also prompted calls from the British Medical Association to demand stricter drink driving laws to bring England and Wales in line with Scotland and the majority of mainland Europe.
It has been estimated that more than 500,000 tickets for the Olympics have been sold to British people, the most of any other nation apart from hosts France.
The drink driving rate in England and Wales is 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, making it one of the highest levels in Europe.
In comparison, in France, it is just 50mg, or 20mg for motorists who have less than three years of experience behind the wheel.
Hunter Abbott, MD of AlcoSense Laboratories, said: “Carrying a disposable breathalyser certified to French regulations in your car is a highly recommended part of your safety kit when motoring in France.
“With such a high propensity of breath alcohol tests in France combined with a significantly lower limit than England, it takes the guesswork out of the morning after a few glasses of wine.”
Abbott added that French police have the power to conduct random breath tests, as well as being compulsory after an accident that has caused an injury or when the driver has committed a serious offence.
The penalties are also more severe than in the UK. If someone were to exceed the English limit of 80mg in France, they could be slapped with a €4,500 (£3,786) fine and potentially receive a two-year prison sentence.
The latest data from 2021 shows that there were 840 road deaths attributed to alcohol in France, compared to 260 in the UK.
Research from a study titled “Going out, drinking alcohol and driving: the French take too many risks” found that 27 per cent of drivers claimed they had entered a vehicle knowing they were over the limit.
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The UK has one of the highest drink driving limits in EuropePAAbbott concluded: “It’s far easier than you think to be under the influence the morning after a few drinks the night before.
“If you drink four pints of medium-strong beer or four large glasses of wine, it can take as long as 14 hours for the alcohol to clear your system.”
The UK has one of the highest drink driving limits in EuropePA
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