Readers Question; Is it true the French Government have decided to postpone the need to have a breathalyser for now?
Below is the information received from the ACF (Automobile Club de France):
From the 1st July 2012 a new sanction was enforced, in France, obliging every driver to carry an unused breathalyser kit in their vehicles.
Drivers that fail to comply are liable to a 11 Euro fine.
The enforcement of this sanction was postponed until 1st November 2012 to allow time for drivers to equip themselves.
Furthermore, a decree was issued on the 29th October 2013 to further delay enforcement, possibly until 1st March 2013, due to a shortage in supply of breathalysers. 
A few days ago, Manuel Valls announced that the obligation was to be postponed indefinitely (sine die) awaiting the conclusions of the French National Counsel for Road Safety (Conseil national de la sécurité routière) expected in February.
For now the text obliging drivers to possess a breathalyser still appears in the ‘Code de la Route’ (highway code) and has not been revoked.
Currently the text is as follows:
Breathalyser obligatory: Yes / regulation: no, not before the 1st March 2013.
We are paying close attention to the Government’s decisions and to the repeal of the texts which will take place if the requirement for a breathalyser is eventually renounced.
We shall not fail to keep you informed.
So, the legal requirement to carry a breathalyzer is still in the highway code, but you cannot be fined for not carrying one. It is unlikely the fine is ever going to be implemented, but at the moment it IS still a legal requirement!
Don’t you just love the French :-)
Cheers, Ron Key
Carp Fishing in France