TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Gendarme Random Traffic Stops

How often coming from OB back to Pburg are the gendarmes out checking for DUI's??? My reason is, I am coming back for one day to SXM on a cruise and will be renting 4 cars and taking a lot of friends on a verrrrry quick tour of the island while we are there. Just wondering what time or days in general the gendarmes are out and about!!! We will be watching our intake (at least the drivers will!!), but the inconvenience of being stopped I'd like to avoid!!

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />The word "random" says it all. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

We have been stopped twice by gendarmes, and neither time did we even have to get out of the car. If the driver is obviously sober, they'll just ask for your license and papers (car rental paperwork), and you'll be on your way. Really not much of an inconvenience at all.

They are out at any time of the day, seven days a week.

They were stopping cars at the intersection where the road splits to Club O and the Butterfly Farm Wednesday from about 4-6 PM. I made it through because they had another car stopped, but I talked to someone on the beach the next day and he was stopped and asked to blow and he was higher than the allowed 0 and he had his license taken and told when he didn't have cash to pay the fine, to drive down to Simply and get money from the ATM. He did, and came back and paid the 90 Euro fine and got his license back and was sent on his way.

Wait, did I read this correctly? This person was tested found to be over limit had to pay fine but because he didn't have enough money was allowed to drive someplace to get $$ even tho they said he was over limit? Sounds like they just want $$

..and if he had the money to pay he would have driven away after settling up anyway...... SO driving while over limit is obviously not the issue.

Makes zero sense to me anyway....kinda like a surcharge for the privilege of driving after drinking. Maybe they should pre-sell permits so you could put them on your windshield and save time. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />

Did the first breath test early last week. Only one car ahead of me at Club O intersection so had to wait a short bit for my "turn". Officer asked a few questions, did not ask for any papers, quick test and on the way.
Talked to a friend who lives here part of the time and apparently the "policy" of "pay the fine and go" had to do with cars being stolen when the driver (and passengers??) being taken to the station in Marigot. More paperwork for the gendarmes. I was told 100 euro fine.
We were "requested" to file a report at the Marigot station (hard to find) a couple weeks ago for a break-in we had. Does take awhile and they have to provide an interpreter.
I did get the small satisfaction of seeing 3 gendarmemobiles picking the perp up and hauling him off the next morning. As far as I know cooling his heels in Guadeloupe.

In France, a level between .04 and .08 is treated like a speeding ticket is in the U.S.. You are given a ticket and you have to pay the fine by a certain date. You can drive in the interim. Over .08 and it is off with your head.

So, in effect, they are saying 0.005- 0.008 does not impair driving (because they let you drive away)...so why the fine?

Answer: because they can

In France, there are different levels, as January explained above. This is copied and pasted from Wikipedia, and seems pretty clear. Obviously they don't want you to drive after drinking, but the more serious offense carries a more severe penalty.

0.05% or 0.02% for bus drivers (�135 fine and 6 demerit points on the driver's license, which can be suspended for 3 years maximum),[11] 0.08% (aggravated, criminal offense, license suspension for 3 years, �4500 fine, and up to 2 years imprisonment)

Which makes staying in Grand Case or OB village the wise choice.

They might not WANT you to drive but they will LET you for a fee...

However, you are visiting someone else's country. They have rules, and you have to accept those when you visit -- just like when your visit a friends house. They have no obligation to justify the rules to you. Be thankful the at between 0.04 and 0.08 all you have to do is pay. And hopefully you won't hurt yourself or someone else.

Am I missing something? For the safety of the rest of us, don't drink and drive. Random checks, fines, bribes, whatever - I just don't want to be hit by you while you are driving drunk. Just because you are on vacation you can still kill someone if driving drunk. Sorry, but this sounds a bit like high school kids talking about how to avoid the cops. Have a designated driver in your group or hire a driver. Grow up - don't drive drunk.

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Use a taxi or guided tour service
It will be much cheaper than the fines and damage you could cause
If you are on Orient beach, you will be drinking no doubt

I am in TOTAL agreement that no one should drink and drive. The point was that they LET you drive away after you have been found to have been drinking....kind of a DUH moment in my brain anyway.

Not necessarily. I have made multiple trips to the French side and Orient in particular and not consumed alcohol. With this silly game being played, it is not worth the hassle.

Back to the OP who stated they will have designated drivers. My guess is if you have 4 cars driving as a caravan there is a pretty good chance 1 car will be stopped if you come upon a road block. That is, unless they already have someone pulled over. Just know what we saw when we were leaving Orient via the Butterfly Farm. Also, saw one road block in the Sandy Ground area but that was before the causeway opened.

It doesn't take much to get to .05. A couple glasses of with dinner could end up costing you 100 euro.

Most of us don't drink to excess. In our case wine with the meal. And the food & time to consume dissipates that but what about that free shot of flavored rum most French restaurants give at the end? I'm not a chemist but wouldn't that be concentrated inside your mouth close to the time you drive back from eating?

$30 for a cab or $100 bucks for a fine. Kind of a no- brainer.

It's much more than $30, if you're talking from the Dutch side, round trip, at least double that.

We got pulled over a few years back. For not wearing our seat belts. We were still basically in the sand parking lot. My husband had to empty his pockets on the hood of the car. Our fine was $120. Coincidentally the exact amount we had on us. IMO it's a scam for tourists.

A scam indeed and it's not specific to St Martin. The same thing happened to me and my SO in NYC a few years ago. Leaving our hotel near Time Square after a conference. The valet parking attendant loaded our luggage in the trunk and I just pulled away from the curb when a NYC motorcycle cop pulls us over. We were less than 50 yds from the hotel!! He asked for my papers and my SO ID. A few minutes later, he handed each of us a $93 ticket for no seat belts. He knew damn well that with PA plates, we wouldn't come back to fight the ticket in Court.

plequerre,

The question that begs to be asked, WERE YOU WEARING THE SEAT BELTS?

There's pretty strict enforcement of the seat belt laws here in CT as well as in neighboring NY, and a hefty ticket is generally levied on in-state drivers as well as out of state in either state if caught in non-compliance. Place of residence is a non-issue if you're breaking the law in either one....

And, personally speaking, while I absolutely hate the seatbelt law, it is the law both here at home in CT and in ST. Martin, and as such, I will always comply with it. Just sayin......

For those who may be wondering what your BAC might look like after a typical dinner with drinks, you can use this Blood Alcohol Calculator to make an estimation. Obviously it is best to use common sense and drive responsibly, but this is still an interesting tool. Please keep in mind that this tool was designed for Quebec drivers where the limit is .08, but you can use the graph at the bottom of the results page. Blood Alcohol Calculator

Buy that scale with three glasses of wine with dinner and a shooter before I leave I'm still slightly under .08

Can someone remind me what the BAC limit is for France. My recollection is that it is .05, not .08,

Pat. We ALWAYS wear our seat belts, but as I said in my post, we were still in the parking lot. Still in the sand creeping along looking for where we needed to go. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />

Here in BC there is a seat belt law. It has been around so long that it is normal for everyone to put his/her seatbelt on before the car starts to move. It would appear that the law is enforced in St. Martin as it is here.

Not sure of the law on the island but if the car is in motion you are for all purposes driving. Chances are you are not going to fight it and they know that.

In some states you can even be cited for DUI if sitting behind the wheel and the car is not running. The intent to drive is there and they go from that.

Lesson learned that's for sure.... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />

Pat,

You're right and I know, we should have fastened our seat belts before leaving the curb. Lesson learned. My point was that, yes, it's the law, but 15 secs in the car and 2 tickets for close to $200, that's a little over the top IMO. A warning would have been enough but I guess they need $$$ there.

You people are really a piece of work. I don't even engage the engine until I buckle up. IN MY GARAGE! What's wrong with you guys? You think you can't get hit in a parking lot by some other yahoo who is drunk?
Buckle up!
irina <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/cloud.gif" alt="" />

Irina--while I agree with you in the principle that I never engage my engine until I buckle up, how about a little less heat in the message???? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Smile.gif" alt="" />

I see a few Picassos' and maybe a Monet.

A couple of years ago, a couple that were sitting near us each day at Club O were late one day. When they arrived they said that they were stopped during a control at the roundabout north of Marigot and were cited for no seat belt. They had to go get money and pay the fine at wherever you go to do that. The fine was $124. I guess it changes in dollar amount along with the exchange rate.

I didn't make it past lunch and HH <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />