The footwear which is legal - and illegal - to drive in... even during a heatwave

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Have you ever wondered what footwear you are allowed to drive in?

You might be the time of driver prefer to opt for flip flops or even go bare foot when driving in warm weather, such as this week.

There is often a debate around whether it is against the law or not to slip your shoes off before getting behind the wheel and it can be confusing for drivers to know whether their choice of footwear is illegal or not.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Well according to the RAC in a nutshell it is not against the law to drive in the UK without shoes on and the same applies for wearing flip flops, provided you are able to safely operate the vehicle.

Do you ever drive in flip flops?Do you ever drive in flip flops?
Do you ever drive in flip flops?
Read More
6 driving laws that could land you a £5,000 fine if you break them

So if you have been for a dip in the sea or a paddling pool and you get behind the wheel with wet feet you might be putting yourself, your passengers and other road users at risk by not being able to drive the car safely, which is illegal.

And just because it isn’t illegal to be bare-footed when driving, that doesn’t mean it is right to do so!

According to the Driving Standards Agency – the body that regulates the UK driving test – ‘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.’

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

There are some basic guidelines you should follow when selecting footwear to drive in. Your shoe should:

- Have a sole no thicker than 10mm…

- … but the sole should not be 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.

While this does not technically categorise flip flops - or other flimsier types of footwear like high heels - as unsuitable for driving a car, they can be dangerous but equally so can sturdy, robust shoes, such as walking or snow boots.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The RAC say: ‘Driving in less than practical shoes – or no shoes at all for that matter – is not illegal, but you have a responsibility as a driver to uphold standards on the road.

‘If your selection of footwear hampers that, you’re putting yourself at risk.’

They advise that it is important to have a good base and grip to apply pressure to the pedals, but you need a certain degree of finesse to manipulate the controls. If not, you could strike the brake and accelerator together, producing a heart-in-mouth incident.

The RAC added: ‘You wouldn’t go for a jog in high heels or flip-flops, so why use them when you’re behind the wheel?’

Do you drive bare-footed? Let us know in the comments below.

Related topics:
News you can trust since 1877
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice