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The Driver Eyesight, Fatigue, Alcohol, Drugs
Eyesight
A minimum visual acuity of 5/10e for both eyes open (called 20/40 in the U.S. -- see the table at right) is required for most licenses. By the way, the label "20/40" means you can see at 20 feet what a normal person can see at 40 feet. The label "5/10" is basically the same in metric.
If your driver's license says you need corrective lenses (verres correcteurs), you must always wear them while driving (duh). If you wear contact lenses, you are recommended to have spare lenses (or glasses) in the car, just in case something happens to the ones you're wearing. |
| U.S. Label |
European Label |
| 20/200 |
1/10 |
| 20/100 |
2/10 |
| 20/70 |
3/10 |
| 20/50 |
4/10 |
| 20/40 |
5/10 |
| 20/30 |
6/10 |
| 20/20 |
10/10 |
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Fatigue
| To avoid fatigue, it is recommended that you take a rest for 15 min every 2 hours or switch drivers. Also, you can drink water and eat light meals. Fatigue multiplies your chance of having an accident by 4. |
Alcohol
| We all learned this stuff in high school, so this page will cover only what's specific to the French driver's test. One can sum up by saying that you must not take drugs or consume too much alcohol before driving. That would be bad. |
| As you will recall from high school health class, everyone's body processes alcohol at a different rate, so how much you can drink and still be legal to drive varies from person to person. Heavier people can absorb more alcohol than thin ones. A 12 cl glass of wine, a 25 cl glass of beer, and a 3 cl glass of whiskey all have the same amount of alcohol (about 1.2 cl). |
| Alcohol level ("alcoolémie" in French) is measured in grams per liter (g/l). The legal limit is <0.50 g/l when measured in blood, or 0.25 mg/l with a breath test. |
Being caught driving with a blood alcohol level between 0.5 and 0.8 g/l (0.25 - 0.39 mg/l on the breathalizer) will cost you 135 € and 6 points off your license. Above 0.8 g/l (0.4 mg/l breath) is a criminal offense punishable by a 4500 € fine, 2 years in prison (4 years if someone was killed), suspension or cancellation of your license, 6 points from your license, and whatever else the judge feels like giving you (public service work, etc.).
Most of the above is from Le site de la Sécurité Routière - L'alcool au volant. |
Alcohol Testing
| A driver must be tested for alcohol in all injury accidents and all serious infractions, whether or not they are responsible for the accident. You can also be tested in a non-injury accident or at a road block (they do that from time to time to discourage drinking and driving). If you refuse to take the on-the-spot balloon test, you will be tested with one of the more involved, more accurate techniques (see list below). |
There are several techniques for testing alcohol level:
- BALLOON (BALLON): You breathe into a tube containing a special chemical that is normally yellow, but turns green in the presence of alcohol above the legal limit. If the chemical turns green, you fail. This is a quick but not very precise method for measuring blood alcohol, so if you fail you will be tested with another, more precise method (see below).
- ALCOHOL TEST (ÉTHYLOTEST): It's an electronique device that works like the balloon. Also not precise and would need to be verified.
- BLOOD SAMPLE (LA PRISE DU SANG): Not commonly used, but will be used when other techniques cannot be used.
- ALCOHOL METER (ÉTHYLOMÈTRE): It's an electronic device that measures mg/l of alcohol in air expired (breathed). Its results cannot be contested and a blood sample is not necessary.
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Drugs
| So-called soft drugs ("drogues douces" in French) have a similar effect on your body as alcohol and their consumption is (of course) not compatible with driving. According to the French government, marijuana and ecstacy are considered soft drugs. (Having never personally taken ectasy, I appreciate this information...) |
| Certain medications magnify the effects of alcohol. These effects are not additive; they multiply. |
Drug Testing
| Testing for drugs is done for all fatal accidents. In addition, you may or may not be tested after any accidents (injuries or not), when busted for something related to speeding or not wearing a seat belt, or if the officer suspects you are high. (This list sounds like they reserve the right test you for drugs whenever they feel like it.) |
Getting Into The Car
| When you first get into the car, you first adjust the seat (position / height), then adjust the mirrors, then fasten the seat belt. Sounds silly, yes, but the question could come up on the test, and I've seen people get this question wrong during practice tests. |
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