With the hot weather appearing, more and more people are opting for summer gear like shorts, summer dresses and sandals, while some opt for sandals and others just go plain barefoot around the garden.
But what would happen if, for instance, you run out of barbecue supplies and need to drive to the local supermarket? Is it okay to hop in your motor with a pair of flip flops on? Can you drive barefoot? What does the law say?
Is driving without shoes illegal?
Well, it turns out that the law isn’t exactly as clear cut as you might think. Technically, there is no law which states that driving barefoot or in flip-flops is illegal, however both would come under the catch-all term of footwear that’s inappropriate for driving.
Wearing inappropriate footwear is illegal, due to the fact that it could impede on your ability to control the car and therefore put yourself, your passengers and other road users at risk.
The Driving Standards Agency, the regulatory body for UK driving tests, states: “Suitable shoes are particularly important behind the wheel. We would not recommend driving barefoot because you don't have the same braking force with bare feet as you do with shoes on.”
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Is it against the law to drive in flip flops?
Flip-flops count as inappropriate footwear, which means that they are legally unsuitable for driving a car. Other types of inappropriate footwear can include sturdy walking boots or high-heeled shoes, as both will impact your ability to safely control the car.
Guidelines for selecting the best footwear state that appropriate shoes must:
- Have a sole no thicker than 10mm
- Have a sole that’s not too thin or soft
- Provide enough grip to stop your foot slipping off the pedals.
- Not be too heavy
- Not limit ankle movement
- Be narrow enough to avoid accidentally depressing two pedals at once
Driving in high heels
However, that doesn’t stop many drivers from wearing flip-flops, with a recent survey from price comparison website confused.com finding that as many as 27 per cent of men and 39 per cent of women have driven in flip-flops in the past.
Exactly 40 per cent of women surveyed said that they’d driven in high heels, while almost a quarter of people have admitted to having driven barefoot in the past.
It’s behaviour which worries insurers and motoring bodies alike, with Confused.com’s head of car insurance, Gareth Kloet, saying that drivers should avoid driving without due care and attention. Julie Townsend, the deputy chief executive of road safety charity Brake said that it’s “deeply worrying” that so many drivers display little regard for the safety of themselves and others.
If you like this article, why not try our Driving Laws Introduced in March 2017 article.
