A car must carry, among other equipment, a high-visibility vest and an approved warning triangle. Use them with regard to the danger: do not expose yourself to place the triangle.
Make equipment accessible
Keep the vest within reach from the passenger compartment so you can wear it before leaving. Locate the triangle and learn to assemble it while stationary. Extra passenger vests can be useful, but distinguish this recommendation from the regulatory minimum. Store objects so they cannot become projectiles during braking.
Check the vehicle’s condition
Tyres, lights, windows and the horn also contribute to compliance. Check indicators, brake lights and lighting before an important journey. Loading must not obscure vision or lights. Buying an accessory does not make a car safe if essential components are defective. Seek a professional check for an anomaly you cannot assess.
Distinguish obligations from useful extras
A first-aid kit, light, water and charger can help depending on the trip. Present them as extras rather than general obligations identical in every country. If leaving France, check the destination country’s requirements. On a fast road, the aim during an incident is protecting people and contacting the right service, not deploying every accessory at any cost.
Spare wheels and breathalysers
The vest must carry CE marking and the triangle must be approved. A spare wheel is not mandatory in the general case, but suitable breakdown equipment remains useful. A breathalyser is no longer mandatory on board. These points do not remove the other requirements for lighting, tyres and visibility.
Check a kit rather than just its presence
Open the storage before leaving: a vest under luggage, broken triangle or kit without instructions may be unusable. Identify supplied tools and repair-product limits. Do not improvise work on the road when a safe working place is unavailable.
Plan access before loading
Keep the vest within reach and check where the triangle will be after loading the boot. During an emergency stop, do not expose yourself to install it: Service Public describes the exception when placement puts your life in danger. Suggested repair accessories must remain distinct from mandatory equipment.
Reference: Équipements obligatoires en voiture ↗
The vest is under luggage in the boot.
Move it somewhere accessible before leaving the vehicle. Check the triangle’s presence and condition, and consider how to protect occupants on the route.
What to avoid. Equipment that is present but inaccessible can be unusable when needed.
Practical checks
- Keep a vest accessible
- Locate and inspect the triangle
- Check lights, tyres and visibility
- Store objects without interfering with driving
Common questions
Should the vest be kept in the boot?
It should be wearable before you leave the car. Accessible storage in the passenger compartment is preferable.
Is a vest in the boot always practical?
It must be accessible before leaving during an emergency stop. Put it in the passenger compartment using safe storage.
Official references
This English translation concerns rules and services in France. It does not make them applicable in another country. Local signs, official instructions, vehicle manuals and contracts may specify your situation. Linked references and service pages are in French.
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The portal’s tools and administrative service pages are in French. Use them while stationary and refer to the official service for your own case.
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