[Use of breath alcohol analysis in France].

An alcohol legislation concerning the operation of motor vehicles exists in France since 1954. In the meantime the problem of the great number of accidents caused by drivers under the influence of alcohol has required several modifications of the legal regulations. In order to get an effective prevention of alcohol-induced traffic accidents the present and future strategy of the French authorities is mainly based on an intensified application of preliminary and evidential breath-alcohol analysis. The legal limit for breath alcohol was fixed at 0.4 mg/l without a direct reference to the blood alcohol limit.