Wont be long before the french require the ingnition interlock. How long until our politician try this with us?
http://www.detroitnews.com/
France on Sunday will become the first country to require all drivers, including tourists, to carry hand-held breathalyzers in all vehicles — a move to help the wine-loving country crack down on drunken driving.
The law takes effect July 1 and was approved in March 2011. It is aimed at convincing drivers to check their blood alcohol level before starting their vehicles.
The law is being watched closely by auto safety advocates in the United States. In the U.S., 10,228 people were killed in 2010 in alcohol-related crashes, down 4.9 percent over 2009
France had about 4,000 road deaths in 2011, down from 16,000 annually in the early 1970s. Nearly 30 percent of road deaths in France are alcohol-related — or about 1,150. That's about the same percentage in the United States.
Fines for not carrying one are small — 11 euros — or about $14 and begin in November. France has also instituted stricter drunk driving laws and tougher penalties in recent years.
France requires drivers to carry a first-aid kit, fire extinguisher and spare light bulbs for headlamps.
On Friday, the American Beverage Institute, representing more than 8,000 restaurants, opposed a measure to expand research on alcohol ignition interlocks that could one day prevent drunken drivers from starting their vehicles.
The highway bill approved by the House and Senate Friday funds the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety, a federal program working to create alcohol detection systems for installation as standard equipment in all cars.
The bill appropriates $5 million in additional funding over two years for the research program.
In addition to funding alcohol-detection device research, the highway bill agreement sets aside $20 million in grants from the Department of Transportation to incentivize states to pass laws requiring ignition interlocks, in-car Breathalyzers, as punishment for first-time drunken drivers.
"The House and Senate should amend the interlock provisions of the highway bill to apply only to the high-BAC and repeat drunk drivers who cause the vast majority of alcohol-impaired fatalities," said Sarah Longwell, ABI's managing director.
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From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/
