France: high visibility vests compulsory again?

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Mad On Triumphs

Mad On Triumphs

1995 Thunderbird
Supporting Member
Keep an eye on this if your thinking of going to France anytime soon. http://ukfrancebikers.com/ The French government seems to find it very difficult to decide whether or not motorcyclists should be forced to wear high visibility vests whilst on the road. Some time ago, we advised that proposals had been put forward by the former French Interior Minister, Claude Guéant, to make high visibility vests mandatory for all motorcycle riders. Thanks to the ever growing and very well respected French motorcyclists pressure group (FFMC – French Federation of Angry Bikers), Guéant backed off and proposed the introduction of compulsory reflective straps around the arm instead. Needless to say that the FFMC continued to disagree with Gueant’s ludicrous proposals and urged him to scrap his proposals all together by gathering tens of thousands angry bikers and causing traffic chaos all over the country. When Guéant was thankfully pushed out of the French government in May last year, his successor, Manuel Valls, decided to scrap his predecessor’s stupid proposals once for good. Once for good? Read on…
Unfortunately, the debate over the potential mandatory high visibility vest for all riders has just resurrected with the government now considering the option of forcing all bikers to carry one with them at all times, but without making it compulsory to wear whilst riding. Does that make sense? Well, not really to be honest! This is another ridiculous and ludicrous anti-bike piece of legislation designed to catch as many bikers as possible and fine them on the spot for not following the law.
So let’s discuss any logic behind this new proposal. Remember, this is only a proposal at this stage, you do not need to carry or wear a high visibility jacket in France until further notice. The government’s idea is to force bikers to wear the vest only when they breakdown alongside the road and/or need to park the bike on the side in case of an emergency or accident. So if you get caught while riding without having a high visibility jacket with you (either in your bike or your bag), you will not be fined as you are not expected to wear it while using your bike. However, if you get caught not wearing the vest in the event of a breakdown, flat tyre, emergency stop or accident, you risk a fine of 35 euros payable on the spot and possibly a couple of points taken off your licence. This would also apply to foreign bikers visiting France.
I can only smile when I come across stupid proposals like this, especially from a highly unpopular government at this present time. Let’s see what the FFMC has to say about this and how long it will take them to get these French bureaucrats to scrap their proposals.
 
This is another " Health and Safety ", bit of crap. In the UK if you breakdown, your told to get away from the vehicle concerned, the thinking behind this is that if your in or near the vehicle and it gets struck by another vehicle ( Highly likely as car drivers don't see motorcyclist so a car shouldn't present too much of a problem for them to smash into ), you would get hurt.
Last night on TV, I saw the most ridiculous use of a high vis jacket and yellow hard hat that I have ever seen. Please sit down as I reveal where this most dangerous of places that any human being could work, the bravery of these workers if they were in the military would merit a Victoria Cross on a daily bases. A Chip making factory ( French fry's ) I kid you not. How bloody dangerous can a humble Chip / French fry be. The Chips were already peeled, so maybe the workers had to wear hard hats just in case they slipped on a rouge potato peel and hit their heads on the floor. I now know as a kid how close I came to death, when my brother and me had food fights all them years ago, so to all those parents out there who will be serving up Fish and Chips this coming Friday, please pause for a moment and remember the danger that ordinary folk are going through on a daily bases to bring you that Chip / French Fry. And don't forget to don hard hats and yellow vest to be sure that nobody injures themselves in a food fight.
Give me strength.
I'm off to get counseling now I've been traumatized by this whole episode.
Bugger it I can't go out as I haven't got my high vis jacket with me or my hard hat
 
I'll never be riding in France so it doesn't effect me one way or the other.
But if I ever do, I have a lime green hi-vis vest and wear it quite often - expecially if I'm wearing a black leather jacket.
A lot of riders around here are wearing them now.
My other jackets are red textile which is quite hi-vis - along with my white helmets - so they make a good combo.
 
Well thanks Mad, I was about to go to McDonalds but now I am afraid I maybe injured in the french fry massacre.....hold on a bit....French Fries, and the beginning post was about French Laws.
Theres a joke in there somewhere:y10:
 
Here in Australia, it would not be too hard to get a hi-vis jacket on any trip down a highway as these seem to always fall off work vans along with their hard hats. This morning I spotted 2 vests and 3 hard hats on my way to work, but trying to stop on the motroway to retrieve them could prove fatal.
 

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