Happening to tune into a French radio station on Sunday morning I learn that as of 1st July motorists in France are obliged to carry a breathalyser kit in working order.  This is not to help out a financially challenged police force because if you are stopped they will use their own equipment to check you.

It's a preventive measure.  If you've been drinking you're supposed to test your blood alcohol level before you take to the road.  Clearly you're expected not to drive if the gadget glows red or whatever it does.

Now a moment's reflection will reveal that if testing yourself with the throwaway chemical breathalyser shows that you are ok to drive you'll be committing an offence if you do because you will no longer be carrying a kit that's ready for use.  So you'll need to have at least two to hand every time you have a glass of wine at a wayside lunch or a country supper and surprise surprise there's been a run on them and they are out of stock almost everywhere.

The same thing happened with the flourescent jacket law and now as then motorists are promised freedom from prosecution for the first few months.

For the more affluent, or more frequent drinker there is a reusable electronic version that runs out after 300 tests or one year whichever occurs first.

This was all a surprise to me.  The law has apparently been some time in gestation but I never heard a dickie bird about it last summer from my French friends, all of whom generally find themselves downing a beer or a glass or two of wine after a game of golf.  As do I, in France if not here.

But it wasn't a surprise to Amazon UK so I'll be putting in an order (£6.75 for two) before I head for the ferry in August.