The safety equipment discussed here concerns exclusively personal protective equipment, those whose use depends on the "good" will of the user.
In terms of risk, and road risk is no exception to the rule, it is always preferable to eliminate the risk, or to reduce it by solutions that do not depend on individual initiative. Eliminating the risk on the road means, in the extreme, not moving or using the rail network. The active safety elements of vehicles make it possible to avoid accidents such as the ESP, which corrects the trajectory, the lane departure warning system, the ABS, which assists braking...
But accidents, or very sudden braking, cannot always be avoided, and as a last resort certain safety equipment is essential to complete the system :
- seatbelt wearing for motorists and users of heavy vehicles or public transport - 21 % of killed did not wear their seatbelt in 2021;
- wearing a helmet and body protections for users of two or three wheels, motorized or not. Helmet use has been mandatory since March 22, 2017 for children under 12 years old. Helmet use is increasing in large urban areas: 27% during the week and 36% at weekends in 2021, compared with 17% and 28% respectively in 2016.
⦁ The wearing of a certified high visibility garment is mandatory for cyclists outside built-up areas, at night, or when visibility is insufficient.
