Wednesday 6 March 2013

Could you make this up?

The French have been having a rare old time with their road traffic law making of late.

First of all, some wag who apparently owns a company that manufactures breath testing kits got well and truly behind the push to introduce a law requiring all drivers/riders of motor vehicles in France, to carry a breath test kit in their vehicle. This is for self-testing purposes. Presumably this allows people who have had a skinful to realise that they have had a skinful and make the rational decision to refrain from driving until they can blow a negative - except that the test is only a guide and not a calibrated and approved device for accurate analysis of alcohol in the body, not to mention the seemingly overlooked fact that people become less rational the more they drink.

 Apparently this person who owns the breath test kit company was even part of the road safety group that did the `research` which many have argued is flawed and lacking in any evidence that this would contribute to the reduction of drink-driving offences, crashes, injuries and fatalities. The law got passed and lots of business rolled in with the production of aforementioned breath testing kits (I've even seen them on Amazon), except that after much lobbying from many groups who are really concerned with road safety and have no business interests connected with the legislation, the whole shebang was put on hold and the minister of the interior stated that he was, amongst other things, `sceptical` as to the value of such legislation.

Now it has been announced that the French have reached a brilliant compromise. The law requiring the breath testing kits to be carried will stay, but there will be no penalty for anyone who fails to do so.

So that's alright then. I knew they'd see reason and, in so doing, seem to have achieved a win-win in the process. Those who drive in France can choose whether or not to obey the law and buy one of the kits to carry with them, spurred on by the knowledge that they won't be fined even if they don't - and the breath test kit manufacturer has the continued opportunity to financially benefit from the process by hoping that people buy his product because its the decent thing to do (and it's the law) even though they run no risk whatsoever of being fined a single Euro if they choose not to. Maybe its really some sort of employment initiative, having seen our attempt at this and simply put some French spin on it? It all makes perfect sense. Now that reminds me, I must check the oil and vinegar levels and change the ciabatta filter in my wife's Fiat 500.

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14 comments:

Blue Eyes said...

Let's all have a laugh at the French. In the meantime we are conducting a similar experiment with murder, rape, violent robbery, etc. etc. etc...

Trobairitz said...

WTF?

It almost sounds as though they are taking a lesson from American politics. Make up crap laws that benefit the guys pushing for the laws.

The only difference is they would enforce it over here because it would be a money generator to fine people not in complaince and it is always about the almighty dollar.

Right now in Oregon someone just introduced legislation thinking of making people register bicycles and charging them $10 a year in registration fees per bike. And there would be a fine for non-compliance - it would be $25.

Yep, all about the money. Sad really.

Hogdayafternoon said...

Blue: I think they're passionale on rape legislation as well. The whole justice thing is boggling, puke-inducing and utterly de-moralising. I'm off to a small, select old Met reunion at the end of the month. One of our number had a career change and apparently is quite `big in the CPS`. Should be a huge piss-take!

Troubairiz: How to encourage fitness and environmentally friendly transport from the land of the fee :(

CI-Roller Dude said...

corruption in some forms sneaks up on ya'

Hogdayafternoon said...

Dude: Thats true. Our neighbours across the English Channel don't seem to make much of an effort concealing it either. C'est la vie.

Blue Eyes said...

Apparently Halfords now sell a pack which has all the motoring things needed for a trip across (or under) La Manche. It presumably has yellow gilets and triangles galore. I think the requirement to cover your headlights with yellow plastic might have expired though.

This is the kind of carp that the EU is supposed to stop!

Hogdayafternoon said...

Blue: And we won't stop it with Defarge either.

Ben said...

Well, considering that the three-point seat belt in a standard car seat already meets the performance standard required of a child seat for anyone over three years of age, but we are still forced to buy useless and ridiculous child seats and force our complaining children to sit in them....

Guess who donated a large sum of money to the Labour party shortly before the law was passed? Britax!

It would be better if they just stole the money outright. It would be cheaper, and we wouldn't have to jump through stupid hoops. See also wind farms and Cameron's father in law, ad nauseam.

Hogdayafternoon said...

Ben: Never knew that! Wasn't surprised tho` :-/

JuliaM said...

"Now it has been announced that the French have reached a brilliant compromise. The law requiring the breath testing kits to be carried will stay, but there will be no penalty for anyone who fails to do so."

So, basically, they just applied the usual French policy that they apply to anything the EU decrees that they don't agree with..?

Hogdayafternoon said...

JuliaM: C`est vrai mon cher.

Hogdayafternoon said...

JuliaM: C`est vrai mon cher. `Un grand nombre de testicules`.

Justthisguy said...

Just checking in to let you know that I'm still above ground, and walking around.

I picked this post to comment upon because it reminds me of some of my horrible drunken driving, when I was young and dumb, etc.

I remember covering one eye to drive home from after-work drinks so as to see only one of everything, instead of two.

I remember matching my Irish boss drink for drink after work (BIG mistake) and driving home, rolling a tire off the rim and changing it while stinking drunk, and waking up the next morning and thinking, "What have I done?"

I went out to the street and inspected the front of the car for dents, blood stains, imbedded teeth and hair and suchlike, and not finding any of that , walked up to the bigger street and bought a newspaper to verify that I hadn't killed anybody.

Well, you know what they say:
The Good Lord looks out for drunkards, small children, and the United States of America.

Hogdayafternoon said...

JTG: Hi Mate. To paraphrase, "we were lucky once.... and young"