safety net

noun safety nets

1. A large net placed horizontally beneath performing aerialists such as trapeze artists or tightrope walkers, intended to catch a performer who falls and to protect him or her from harm.
2. broadly, figuratively Anything, such as a governmental program, that provides security against extreme disadvantage or misfortune. But without ominous clouds above to warn us of what lies ahead, the powerful force of automation and the destruction of any safety net may silently push more and more of us onto the open road.