Driving is a complicated affair. At least, driving safely isn’t as straightforward as most of us believe. There are many laws, rules, and recommendations that conscientious drivers must follow if they wish to reduce the risk of accidents. Today, we’re going to focus on the issue of driving shoes. Many is the time that a car accident is followed by the driver at fault emerging from their vehicle wearing inappropriate footwear – suggesting they may have lost control of things because of their shoes. Speak to a car accident lawyer (Fort Lee) if you have been affected. So, which shoes should you avoid while driving?
Shoes to avoid while driving
Flip flops
Flip flops offer a very loose fit, meaning that you are likely to constantly be moving your feet and toes in an attempt to balance the flip flop back into place each time you press a pedal down. This doesn’t bode well for careful driving, as fett that are in a constant state of movement aren’t necessarily always going to be placed properly on the pedals.
There’s also the very real concern of the flip flop becoming entangled with the pedal, whereby the over-foot strap becomes stuck behind the pedal. Needless to say, this kind of confusion with what’s going on down there is the last thing you need when trying to drive carefully.
High heels
High heels present two issues. First, we are used to tilting our feet forwards to use the pedals, but we are used to the heel of our foot resting on the floor of the footwell. Where you introduce extra height to the starting position of your foot, the angles are changed. This means that, in high pressure situations, you may not be able to control your vehicle in the same way, meaning accidents may occur.
Secondly, the tip of the heels is notorious for over-gripping or getting caught on carpeting and floor mats. This can lead to extra pressure being applied when the foot doesn’t move as expected, and a jolting forward of the foot when the heel loses grip as you push.
Platform soles
Platform shoes can disguise the pressure you are applied, leading to a situation in which you are reacting to your own driving, rather than being in control. The platform soles can also hit the sides of the pedals when changing pedals, meaning your use of that pedal may be delayed while you compensate.
Can I drive barefoot?
If you don’t like the idea of keeping a separate pair of driving shoes in your boot, you may be tempted to drive barefoot. Depending where you are in the world, there may be laws – or local laws – against driving without the use of appropriate footwear. Aside from anything, if you do cause a crash while driving barefoot, the other side may attempt to use this evidence against you, as a means of proving that you were perhaps not as in control of your vehicle as you could have been had you been wearing the correct footwear. On balance, it might be an idea to reconsider the thought or keeping sensible driving shoes in the boot.
