A safety device for a motor vehicle, which has a striker, a pawl, a rotary latch having an opening direction of rotation, a closing direction of rotation, and a main locking position, and preferably a front hood, wherein the safety device has a blocking element, which has a blockage position and a release position, and the rotary latch is blocked in the closing direction of rotation in the blockage position of the blocking element, wherein the rotary latch is released in the closing direction of rotation by the blocking element in the release position of the blocking element and lowering of the striker is enabled in the main locking position of the rotary latch and movement of the blocking element from the release position to the blockage position is controlled by means of the pawl.