... to think that you shouldn't drive in flip flops?

[thisvelvetglove]

Or similar unsecured footwear?

That is all. :)

Horses for courses I think.

I do prefer fairly secure footwear for driving. I wear my strappy flat sandals as they are well fitting and have a good ankle strap which stops them flopping about.

I have never been a fan of flip flops for myself because I am not comfortable wearing any sandal which has a bit I have to have between my toes, as so many flip flops (and some other types of sandals) do. That is probably just one of my eccentricities though. I know plenty of people love them and swear by them. I swear at them.

I do love my scholl massage sandals too though, but I just plod around the house and garden in them, not drive.

I have a number of pairs of flip flops. As a pp said they are my main footwear for months.

There is one pair that I am completely comfortable driving in. They have thick enough soles not to fold but not so thick that I don't feel in touch and they aren't slippy. I'd feel less secure in ballet flats or heels.

If you want to get judgy about a flip flop wearing motorist, try the biker who went past our bike at 100+ wearing a sleeveless shirt, shorts and flip flops. Only my chin strap prevented my jaw dropping :)

A judge slammed a woman for causing an accident whilst wearing some ugg cardigan boots last year. The fold over bit got caught on one of the pedals and she couldn't release her foot causing her to crash into another vehicle.
The judge said she was irresponsible for driving in such shoes and that people should wear suitable driving shoes.
I think flip flops are less suitable than a pair of Cardigan Uggs. I think feet should be in secure flat non fussy shoes when driving.

Are you Sheldon Cooper?

I prefer not to drive in flip flops-keep ballet pumps in the car.

You should always drive in sensible shoes. Flip flops are not sensible as in an accident the bottom of the shoe can become caught underneath the pedal and cause you to be unable to use the brake. We had an accident locally here last year when that very thing happened to a woman driving. She ran down 2 people. Not worth the risk.

The RAC have produced some info on suitable and unsuitable driving footwear.
www.rac.co.uk/community/blog/rac-blog/december-2012/driving-without-shoes-is-it-illegal

The only law about footwear, or lack thereof,is that you should be incontrol of the car.

From the RAC:
here 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

This does technically categorise some types of footwear – such as high-heels and flip-flops – unsuitable for piloting a car....

.... RAC Verdict

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

I'm not comfortable driving in flip-flops and do worry about getting them caught under the pedal but they're my staple footwear for about six months of the year where I live. Constantly changing shoes to drive would be a PITA. Keeping a pair of ballet pumps on the car isn't a bad idea though...

I find Birkenstocks fine, but not flipflops. When I was in oz last year, the friend we visited said it was common there to drive barefoot, probably because they are wearing 'thongs' more often.

Hate driving in high heels anyway, so have a pair of flats for that.

www.drivingtesttips.biz/shoes-for-driving.html - flip flops not seen as safe to drive in - seen as safer to drive barefoot

Its not illegal to drive bare foot.

If I am wearing flip flops I usually slip one off and keep it by the seat. If I need to get out I just put it on again

I find Birkenstocks can be a bit tricky if you are not used to them. That deep lip can get caught under the pedals.

I think 'sensible shoes' can be more dangerous because you can't feel the pedals and they are a bit too stiff.

I don't understand why driving in bare feet is dangerous.

I wouldn't drive in serious heels.

I drive and automatic.

I suppose the most important thing is this (from power hoops link):

If an accident is the result of inappropriate footwear, therefore rendering the driver unable to fully maintain control of the vehicle, an insurance company may reduce the amount paid out in a claim due to the driver actively contributing to the accident.

Insurance companies will use any detail to wriggle out of paying out in full, so is it worth the risk?

Yanbu. It's fucking stupid. Regardless of how brilliant a driver you are (and to be honest, if you drive in inappropriate footwear, or barefoot, you're not a brilliant driver), the things slip off.

The only shoes I don't feel safe driving in are those with very high heels so I tend to take a pair to change into then. Never had an issue with flip flops though

I've driven tens of thousands of miles in Cardi Uggs as well. Not sure how the hell she managed to get them trapped tbh.

I always drive in my flip flips, they feel safe to me. I've had a dodgy moment in ordinary flats that has no grip on the bottom and sipped off the pedal when it was wet so I always rub them dry on the mat whenever it rains.

I definitely would not drive in heels or wedges though.

What are Cardi Uggs? Are they the boots that look like they are made from a grey cable knit jumper?

I thought it was illegal to drive barefoot?

Nope, cos that would be unreasonable for drivers without feet.

One advantage of not using the pedals is it doesn't matter what is on my feet.

I live in flip flops and find them the easiest shoes to drive in. I have never had any issues of them falling off.

When do flip flops slip off??

I don't do high kicks whilst driving down the M5 so my flip flops remain firmly on the pedals.

YABU for judging my choice in footware. My feet are fabulous and I don't care what you think or am I getting confused between threads

the entire country of NZ would become a car-less nation in summer.

yes sparkling. The tops can be folded over so I imagine the accident referred to above was caused by her having them completely unbuttoned, something which I've never seen anyone do.

Thanks Sisters. I didn't realise they were Uggs but have seen people wearing them. I worry about it raining for them.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2216670/Teacher-49-crashed-oncoming-vehicle-Ugg-boot-got-stuck-brake-pedal.html

That's the ugg boot woman. She was charged with dangerous driving. Sorry about it being a daily fail link but if you google ugg boot car accident you will find the same story from different sources.

YANBU - even if your FFs have always stayed on, there is still a risk they may fall off. Driving safely is kinda important!