09/04/2012 by ValueBreathalysers.

A massive rush is underway by breathalyzer manufacturers applying for NF certification of their products. The NF standard is a basic quality mark which until recently has been of limited interest to manufacturers. Many had let their NF certificates lapse as the French market was not considered important and the quality mark was not required to sell in France where the usual ROHS or CE certification was also accepted.

The move by the French Government to introduce compulsary breathalyzer packs for all motorists using french roads from July 2012 has seen a large increase in sales to the French market. At the time of the decision only a few brands had pre-existing NF certificates applied to their products. Obtaining NF certificate listing is quite straight forward for manufacturers already meeting existing EU quality standards there are no additional parameters which are required and it is simply a matter of completing the LNE audit and application process.

We will see a massive expansion to the list of approved NF breathalyzers over the next few months. The existing list is in no way final or closed and many manufactuers are also obtaining a declaration of conformity to the performance standards listed in NFX20702, making their products legitimate to sell directly into the French market.

The same application process applies to digital hand held breathalyzers being sold to the french Breathalyzer market for compliance with the new law. Many of the existing models such as the DA8000 and others have existing NF certification but only applied to OEM branded boxes in French distributor own label boxes. The breathalyzers are indentical to the manufacturers original but prior to the new French law the manufacturer saw no commercial advantage to paying for LNE certification directly.

With the introduction of the French breathalyzer legislation this now changes the balance for product being imported into Europe.  Buyers will want breathalyzer models which are compliant for when they travel to Europe and will prevent them having to buy additional units or single use breathalyzer tubes. If other countries follow the French and introduce similar laws, there is nothing to stop them applying a local regional or country specific quality mark .

Visit our website www.value-breathalysers.co.uk

Posted in Breathalyzer NF Certification, Breathalyzer France, Breathalyzer France law, breathalyzer for driving in france, French breathalyser, breathalyzer kits reviews, breathalyser France, breathalyzer kits france | 1 Comment »

05/03/2012 by admin.

Access Diagnostic Tests & ValueBreathalysers www.valuebreathalysers.co.uk are receiving multiple e-mails every day about the new french breathalyzer kit law due to come into force this July 1st.

There seems to be a huge amount of confusion and mis-information about what the actual requriement is and how rigidly it will be enforced by the french Police. This is made all the more difficult because most of the information is in french and the translation tools are not as effective in translating them into english as one would hope.

Anyway we have spent hours pooling all the information available so far on the web in an attempt to clarify things for british drivers.

Here is what seems clear so far:

• It will apply to all drivers in France including british drivers
• You will be expected to have an unused & readily available breathalyzer kit in your car at all times, when in France or face fines.
• You will be expect to produce this if asked to by the french police
• Having the kit in the car does not mean the french police will not breathalyse you-fairly obvious but thought we’d better mention it
• If you are found to be over the limit having a breathalyzer kit in the car will not protect you from prosecution-again fairly obvious but thought we’d mention it.
• The french drink driving limit 0.05% BAC  is significantly lower than the UK’s  at 0.08% BAC
• It is best to avoid drinking and driving. As the french limit is much lower than the UK, you are more likely to be over the limit if you do  and face prosecution.
• You could still easily be over the french limit the morning after you consumed alcohol the night before.
• You will required to carry the breathalyzer test kits even if you are tee-total and have no intention of drinking and driving
• If you are on a normal driving license you will be required to carry a 0.05% BAC Detection Breathalyzer that you will be expected to produce if stopped and asked to by the french police.
• If you are on a professional driver license such as a bus driver or lorry driver you will be expected to carry a 0.02% BAC detection breathalyzer kit
• The new law is effective from the 1st July 2012-but there seems to be speculation about whether the police will enforce fines straight away or whether there will be a period of grace possibly until November 2012 (why November ?)
• The fine for not having a breathalyzer kit is relatively small at around 11 Euros, but if you are stopped multiple times it will start to add up-this has greatest implications for those driving in France often or for extended periods of time, or for those brits who live in france for some of the year.
• It is probably advisable to carry at least 2 of the disposable breathalyzer test kits in case you are required to use one, so that you have a spare.
• The breathalyzer kits must be’ in date’. All disposable breathalyzer kits have an expiry or use by date on them. You will be expected to check that the ones that you have are within date and have not expired. When they are past the use by date you will be required to purchase new ones to carry.
• The single use breathalysers are relatively inexpensive-around £4.99 for a pack of 3 and if you go for ones with a long shelf life should last you for many trips.

Here is a link to the french law page not surprisingly it is in french ! Please give us an english translation

http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000025417826&dateTexte=&categorieLien=id

The rest is speculation.  Some breathalyzer suppliers are suggesting that only the french NF certified (a volunatry certification in France) breathalyzer kits (& co-incidentally the brand that they stock) are suitable, but our research has not as yet confirmed this.

I am not sure if the french government has yet ironed out all the ins and outs of the legislation and whether in fact sufficient breathalyzer kits will have been manufactured by 1/7/2012 for even the french population, let alone all the tourists travelling from other countries to France this summer.

It will be interesting to see how it pans out, and whether it will have the desired effect. It has certainly raised public awareness both in France and around the world on the issues around drink driving, and has made british drivers more aware of the lower french alcohol limits.

Maybe the intention is to have the same effect that the smoking ban in UK has had on smoking levels. Smoking in public places in UK has become much less common since the smoking ban in restaurants, pubs and workplaces came into force and smokers are now frequently in the minority.

The french government clearly wishes to change the french drinking culture in the same way, so that drinking and driving is seen as socially & morally unacceptable in France. Should we be doing the same ? Are the UK limits out of step with the rest of the EU ? Should we have lower limits 0.02% BAC for newly qualified drivers as some other european countries have.

As always let us know your thoughts in comments. This topic has certainly got legs & could run and run.

To see a range of Breathalyzers including disposable 0.05% BAC breathalyzers visit www.ValueBreathalysers.co.uk

Posted in France breathalyzer law, breathalyzer for driving in france, French breathalyser, breathalyser France, breathalyzer kits france | 2 Comments »

22/02/2012 by ValueBreathalysers.

Due to a recent overwhelming demand for the 0.05% BAC disposable breathalyzer kits for France, delivery on this item may be delayed unitl mid March 2012 as we are currently awaiting delivery from the manufacturer.

They are in production now and delivery is expected in early to mid March. Orders may still be placed online through our breathalyzer website  & will be dispatched as soon as the item is back in stock in UK. Please accept our sincere apologies for the delay .

If you require a breathalyzer for use abroad alternatives to consider are the 0.02% BAC disposable breathalyzer kits or the best selling reusable DA5000 digital breathalyzer at just £33 plus VAT

Click here to see all single use disposable breathalyzer kits including those suitable for driving in France

Posted in breathalyzer kits for driving in France, France breathalyzer law, French breathalyser, breathalyzer kits france, breathalyzer Kits UK | 1 Comment »

22/02/2012 by admin.

French officials have confirmed their intention to introduce as planned the legal requirement for all vehicles to carry breathalyser tests and the suggested implementation date will be July 2012 for the new french law.

Single use disposable breath tests set at the French 0.05%BAC will be sufficient. The 0.05%BAC Mission disposable breathalyser kit packs meet all European quality requirements and this includes the French industry standards, so drivers travelling with these kits will comply with the legal requirement. We have been asked if the kits meet French NF quality marks, but the NF standard is not applied to single use breath detectors which are classified for EU use under the CE certification and in the case of the Mission product, you also get the far more stringent IVDD (InVitro Diagnostic Device) certification, meaning it meets the exacting standards required for use in health care settings.

Frequent travellers or tourists intending to travel for extended periods in France may also choose to opt for a hand held digital breathalyser. These cost from as little as £33 plus VAT for the DA5000 digital breathalyzer. These give a far more accurate measure of Bloood Alcohol levels, giving a direct reading from 10 right up to 400mg/100ml blood alcohol concetration. The DA5000 Breathalyzer is ROHS certified for use right accross Europe and comes pre-set with an alarm setting of 0.05% which complies with French driving legislation currently. For personal use no additional mouth piece tubes will be required for the breathalyser, and the only additional cost will be replacment sensors every 300 tests and batteries. With no expiry date, and an accurate direct and immediate reading of alcohol always on hand, these digital breathalyzers make a useful and cost effective alternative to single use alcohol breath testers. Other digital breathalysers meeting French requirements include :AL6000 Breathalyzer and AL7000 breathalyzer 

Posted in breathalyzer for driving in france, France breathalyzer law, French breathalyser, breathalyser France, breathalyzer kits france, breathalyzer buying guide | 1 Comment »

09/12/2011 by admin.

From Spring 2012 every driver in France may be required to carry a breathalyzer kit in their car or face fines , after an announcement earlier this week by french president Nicolas Sarkozy.

The new planned legislation is part of a drive to reduce the deaths on french roads by increased safety measures including drivers being able to check their alcohol levels before driving.

Source http://www.thelocal.fr/1920/20111201/

The EU drink driving prosecution levels are lower than the UK’s at 0.05% BAC

Research by the french road safety association has shown that alcohol is the biggest factor in road deaths so this move from the french president is an attempt to cut road deaths by making drivers more aware of their alcohol levels.

Click here to see 0.05% BAC glove box breathalyzer kits

Posted in Disposable Breathalyzer France, French breathalyser, breathalyser France, breathalyzer kits france | 2 Comments »