# Drinking/smoking/eating while driving



## hogan (Oct 31, 2006)

Just been chatting to some French friends and they tell me the french police will fine you €25 if they see you smoking while driving.
Not sure of the fine for drinking or eating.


----------



## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

I think the french police would fine you for passing wind as you were driving if they could.

Dick


----------



## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

hogan said:


> Just been chatting to some French friends and they tell me the french police will fine you €25 if they see you smoking while driving.
> .


I thought smoking was their national pastime?!


----------



## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Logical I guess.

Smoking while driving is arguably more hazardous than using a mobile.

If you drop a phone and it lands in your lap it doesn't set the wedding tackle on fire!! 8O 

Dave


----------



## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

Glandwr said:


> I think the french police would fine you for passing wind as you were driving if they could.
> 
> Dick


The French Police are a lot less anal than British ones when it come to traffic enforcement. As I run the gauntlet of Dorset Police / Dorset Roadsafe and their 'No Excuse campaign' every day anything the French Police do will be less threatening.


----------



## overthemoon (May 12, 2010)

I think that is a very bigoted view by the French police, do you still get the fine if you spontaneously combust.
Drinking whilst driving is stupid, it spills everywhere!
Dave


----------



## KeithChesterfield (Mar 12, 2010)

In North Korea smoking is banned on the grounds that a Driver cannot smell a problem with the car - but drivers keep a bottle of alcohol and some ciggies to use as emergency bribes.
Just thought I'd let you know!


----------



## me0wp00 (Jun 2, 2010)

I don't smoke so haven't been fined :O) I'm always very impressed with the gendarmes even with the recent spate of mobile radars. When i've been stopped in the past, I honestly should have been booked but luckily the local ones seem to like me and tell me i'm a naughty woman and let me off :lol: 
I was once told off for being on a mobile phone on the motorway even though I had pulled over by an emergency phone, they did check I hadn't really broken down, oh no officer but I heard a strange noise coming from the car and was phoning my husband to see if he thought I could get home or should I phone the break down.... :wink: 
They will pull you for drink driving *quite right too* but the locals here say just stay under the speed limit and they can't stop you and i've seen plenty smoking in their cars.....
I have heard its actually illegal for men/women to pee by the side of the road and that can have a fine too, shame the police haven't told all of the male population of rural france !!!


----------



## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Simple. Just drive between lunchtime and early evening when all of France and the coppers are too busy eating or making Lurve!


----------



## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Oh dear, I thought this posting was all about HGV drivers. :lol: :lol: 

cabby


----------



## Tmax (Aug 5, 2006)

barryd said:


> Simple. Just drive between lunchtime and early evening when all of France and the coppers are too busy eating or making Lurve!


 

Sorry Barry but quite wrong. I have been stopped three times at vehicle checks where they take over a lay by and stop all cars and breathalyse every driver. The favourite time for this is in the afternoon as generally people have their main meal at lunchtime and wine is normally consumed ! In this area you often see this on Sunday as lots of people go over the border to Spain for lunch. Certainly makes you think twice about that 2nd or 3rd glass of wine.

Regards, Tom

Toujours a Vacances !


----------



## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

hogan said:


> Just been chatting to some French friends and they tell me the french police will fine you €25 if they see you smoking while driving.
> Not sure of the fine for drinking or eating.


If that is true, there will be a lot of nicked French


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

hogan said:


> Just been chatting to some French friends and they tell me the french police will fine you €25 if they see you smoking while driving.
> Not sure of the fine for drinking or eating.


I think you'll find it's £60 in the UK, and possibly some points too, but not Nectar ones :roll: :roll: :roll:


----------



## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> hogan said:
> 
> 
> > Just been chatting to some French friends and they tell me the french police will fine you €25 if they see you smoking while driving.
> ...


It's very likely you be accused of Driving without Due Care and Attention if the Police Officer thinks your driving is below the standard required of a competent driver. DWDCA is now not an automatic court appearance and can be dealt with by the Police Officer as a FPN offence which attracts £60 and 3 penalty points.
The latest wheeze in Dorset is to be offered a place on a Driver Awareness Course at a cost of £100. Dorset Police have budgetted for a surplus from the courses this year of £1m which they will keep. There is much more financial incentive for a Dorset Police Officer to prosecute you than a French one.


----------



## adonisito (Nov 6, 2009)

Drinking and smoking while driving is very tricky. I find you have to use your knees on the wheel.


----------



## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Tmax said:


> barryd said:
> 
> 
> > Simple. Just drive between lunchtime and early evening when all of France and the coppers are too busy eating or making Lurve!
> ...


Thanks. It was just a bit of a joke really. However in my extensive trips through France I have only seen two police check points where they pulled over the odd vehicle. One outside an Aire in Burgundy and another in Brittany where the pulled us over on our scooter and immediately regretted it as they cant speak English. I showed them my docs which they couldn't read and very soon we were on our way.

I love the French. Even their coppers are nice.


----------

