Breath test law should be pursued

ROAD safety authorities have urged the government to press ahead with plans to make breathalysers compulsory in vehicles - but they say a fine is not necessary.

The Conseil National de la Sécurité Routière met yesterday and voted in favour of the breathalyser law, which was originally due to come into force last July and was delayed twice - to November and then March - before being put on hold for indefinite period by interior minister Manuel Valls last month.

The group acknowledged that there were still doubts about the effectiveness of the breathalysers, but recommended that the obligation to have one in vehicles should be pursued - and extended to scooter riders.

At its meeting yesterday the CNSR also recommended bringing back warning signs announcing the presence of speed cameras. They were dug up last year, but a number remain in place, alongside new "radars pédagogiques" which display a vehicle's speed but do not issue fines.

The number of people killed on French roads fell by 8% in 2012. Alcohol remains the primary cause of fatal accidents.