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Thought and action on matters of urban public safety design are based on a strong ideological preconception often backed up by empirical models which over time have led to highly opposing concepts. The discourse on safety in towns, based as it is on these models, is thus founded on a common sense never called into question. One must question such supposed coherence between ecomobility and safety.If the way forward towards an improvement in road safety is as yet unclear, as is evidenced from experience as well as from the findings from research, the author argues in favour of a safety management which is pragmatic and integrated into the wider processes of urban management, especially with regard to consistency between public spaces and travel networks.