Passive protection device and a vehicle thus equipped

The lower limb protector consists of an energy absorbing structure with two sections (51, 53) that deform in the main direction of a force applied to them in a collision, and a frontal thrust member that extends across that direction. The thrust member is in the form of a bar (31) with a curved section (43) having its convex side facing towards the occupant to hold the legs apart with a minimal distance between them in the event of an impact.