France bans installation of reused or recycled airbags

The French government has officially prohibited the installation of reused or recycled airbags in vehicles. A decree published in the Journal officiel formalizes this ban to address significant road safety risks.

The decision follows concerns regarding the stability of pyrotechnic devices, which can suffer from premature degradation. Such instability makes the airbag modules potentially dangerous. The decree explicitly integrates this prohibition into the highway code to prevent the use of non-new airbags during vehicle construction, maintenance, or repair.

This regulatory move follows the Takata airbag scandal, which saw an acceleration of recalls since 2022 due to fatal accidents. Authorities noted that used airbags are not considered valid circular economy alternatives to new parts due to the risks associated with their disassembly conditions and the uncertain history of the vehicles from which they were removed.