Drunk driving, the second leading cause of road fatalities after excessive speed, is responsible for nearly a third of fatal accidents.
Businesses selling alcoholic beverages for takeaway or online (wine shops, hypermarkets, grocery stores, etc.) will be required to sell breathalyzers starting in July, in accordance with the 2019 Mobility Orientation Law (LOM).
Online alcohol sales websites will also have to comply. Nearly 50,000 operators (wine shops, hypermarkets, supermarkets, grocery stores, drive-through sites, etc.) are affected by this measure.
Exempted, because they are not subject to the takeaway license, are producers selling beverages from their own harvest and temporary beverage vendors (fairs, exhibitions, and kermesses).
Specifically, establishments will need to offer “mandatory chemical breathalyzers and possibly additional electronic breathalyzers” for sale and “maintain a minimum stock of 10 or 25 breathalyzers, set according to the size of the alcohol sections.”
A prevention display about the importance of self-testing and indicating the sale and location of breathalyzers within the establishment will need to be installed.
Violators are subject to a fixed fine of 675 euros, which can be increased to 1,875 euros.
Currently, the legal blood alcohol content limit is 0.5g/L. For young drivers, the legal limit is 0.2g/L.
