Road safety – Gloves compulsory for motorbikes and scooters: it’s official! –

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Gloves compulsory for motorbikes and scooters: it’s official !

Road safety - Gloves compulsory for motorbikes and scooters: it's official! -

As planned since last fall, the wearing of CE approved gloves will become mandatory on November 20 for drivers and passengers of motorcycles and scooters. This new measure sanctioned by a fine of 68 € and a withdrawal of one point also applies to mopeds (50 cc), quads and three- and four-wheeled scooters such as MP3 and Quadro4.

Forcing bikers to wear gloves is not a new idea: Prefect Regis Guyot recommended it in 2013, raising contrasting reactions. Some are in favor of it for the obvious reason of safety, while others are annoyed with its compulsory nature, considered as an additional freedom-killing constraint while most two-wheeled users – aware of the risks – equip themselves correctly. And theThe estimates taken by the government to endorse its measure corroborate this point of view: in France, "12% of motorized two-wheeled users still drive without suitable gloves", according to a TNS Sofres survey. 88% of bikers and scooter riders would therefore wear suitable gloves !

With statistics demonstrating the importance of gloves (see below) – in particular the fact that during a fall from a motorcycle or scooter, "hand injuries are reduced or avoided in 95% of cases for motorcyclists" according to the MAIDS report -, the government had nevertheless decided to make their wearing compulsory last fall during the interministerial road safety committee, with implementation scheduled for January 1 (lire our and ).

Applicable from November 20, 68 € fine and 1 point !

But this schedule has fallen behind, among other things because of the difficulties in defining a legislative framework surrounding the characteristics of the gloves in question, which must ensure real protection without costing an arm (or even in this case a hand). A big difference that is difficult to achieve, especially for 14-year-olds that parents must now equip adequately. Decree 2016-1232 published today in the Official Journal therefore specifies that "gloves must comply with the EC regulations relating to personal protective equipment" (PPE, ie all gloves bearing the "CE" mention on a label, Editor’s note ). The average cost of these certified PPE (read) would be "45 €", estimates the government: pile the price of the fine reduced in the event of non-wearing of gloves (fine of 68 € reduced to 45 € on condition of paying within 15 days) !

Road safety - Gloves compulsory for motorbikes and scooters: it's official! -

This fine applies to both the driver and his passenger, but the driver also incurs a withdrawal of one point on his driver’s license. This is starting to get dearly paid for a measure originally decided to "limit the severity of injuries to the hands and forearms, too often linked to insufficient or even lack of bodily protection". Another reason for concern among bikers: the potential escalation towards the compulsory wearing of a complete outfit (high shoes, pants, jacket …), with eventually – why not? – the obligation to also have an airbag device (read our).

If the idea may seem laudable, it would be extremely restrictive and expensive, which would put an additional brake on the practice of motorcycles and scooters in France, already greatly slowed down by ever more repressive measures against users. two and three-wheelers: 7-hour training for the 125 cc, compulsory A2 license regardless of age, ban on access to Paris for old motorcycles, etc. The list of constraints exerted on motorcyclists and scooter riders continues to grow…

Gloves must be worn on motorcycles and scooters: what you need to know

  • Application from November 20, 2016 for drivers and passengers of motorcycles, scooters, cyclists and quads (3 and 4-wheelers included)
  • 68 € fine for offenders, reduced to 45 € if payment within 15 days + withdrawal of a license point
  • In France, 12% of motorized two-wheeler users still drive without suitable gloves (TNS Sofres survey)
  • More than 7 drivers of motorized two-wheelers in 10 say they have already fallen, and, among them, they are more than 2 in 5 to have been injured in this accident (TNS Sofres survey)
  • A fall at 50km / h is equivalent to falling from a height of ten meters
  • About 20% of victims of motorized two-wheeler crashes are injured in the hand or wrist (Rhône Register estimate)
  • In an accident, with thick gloves, hand injuries are reduced or avoided in 95% of cases for motorcyclists and 87% of cases for mopeds (Source MAIDS – In-depth study on motorcycle accidents)
  • In 2015, according to the National Interministerial Road Safety Observatory (ONISR), motorized two-wheelers accounted for 43% of serious injuries, or more than 12,000 people, for only 2% of traffic. 

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