New road rules came into force at the beginning of July requiring all motorists in France, including tourists, to carry a breathalyser kit.

From November 1st drivers who fail to carry a breath test kit will face a fine, prompting leading car rental firm Europcar to put free breathalyser kits in all vehicles hired from its 250 branches in France during August. 

According to new figures from the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), the road safety charity, half of UK motorists are unaware that the breathalysers must be certified to the French NF standard.

“There has been some confusion amongst UK holidaymakers about what they need to do when driving in France,” explained Ken McCall, managing director, Europcar UK Group. 

“So to eliminate that confusion, we’re putting breathalyser kits in all our vehicles in France - at no cost to the customer. 

“No need to book in advance or buy before picking up their car.

“We think this is another example of Europcar taking the initiative to look after its customers and make the car hire experience as easy as possible.”

Europcar is considered the World’s Leading Car Hire by the World Travel Awards.