Announced for several months but widely criticized, the decree mandating the wearing of retro-reflective devices was voted. As of January 2013, motorcyclists riding motorcycles or scooters over 125 cm3 will have to wear a yellow vest or armband. The FFMC called yesterday for the mobilization…
At the end of the Council of Ministers held yesterday at the Elyse Palace, Interior Minister Claude validated one of the measures announced in the context of the 11 May 2011 IRB and particularly controversial. The voted decree provides that drivers and passengers of motorized two-wheelers of more than 125cm3 will have to equip retro-reflective devices as of 2013…
Failure to comply with this legal obligation will be accompanied by a fixed fine of third class (68 Euros) and a withdrawal of 2 points on the driving license. The FFMC reacted by letting it know that it did not intend to let this “measure” go by, which is “tinkered again in haste.” She called yesterday for the mobilization of all her supporters.
The FFMC campaign against the law on the wearing of the yellow safety vest in two-wheelers
The essence of the problem is far from new: from the very first announcement, the FFMC expressed its discontent by publishing press releases, launching public poster campaigns (see illustration above) and organizing demonstrations. In response to this call for discussion, the government has simply changed its text … by turning the vest into an armband.
This is the misunderstanding among bikers, who do not need such a measurement for many reasons:
The visibility of motorcyclists on the road is already excellent thanks to the 4 retro-reflective stickers on the helmet (legal obligation), supplemented by the headlights for the nocturnal journeys;
Visibility is not a question of lighting or colors of clothing, but more related to the lack of attention of motorists who have not learned to cohabit with two-wheelers, yet more and more numerous;
Why does the measure apply only to two-wheelers of large displacement, and not to mopeds and 125cc? However, they are the least well trained and equipped…
In short, for the FFMC, the government is “next to the plate.” With the presidential elections taking place in the spring, the association will have to act quickly if it wants to have a chance to see the government backtrack. That promises great events!