To be worried about friend driving in flip flops?

[MargotLovedTom1]

Just that. Friend kindly offered to take my DC out for the afternoon with her DC. I just noticed last minute that she's wearing beach flip flops to drive in. They've gone off and I was left thinking I should've said something, because as far as I'm concerned flip flops are dangerous for driving in and she's got my kid in the car. They're not just popping round the corner either. But wtf could I have said without sounding like a nob?!

another one who would never do it and I keep a pair of shoes just for driving in the car for days I am wearing high heels or sandals. I thought everyone did that!

I don’t think you can police your friends driving footwear.

I expect you have shoes you drive in that aren’t optimal either...maybe not quite as bad as flip flops, but a lot of shoes are less than ideal as the soles are too slippery etc.

I’m sure they’ll all be fine, try not to worry.

I wouldn't drive in flip flops. I take them off and drive in bare feet when I'm wearing them.

It is actually illegal to drive in flip flops

I used to live in Spain. It is illegal to wear flip flops for driving there.
The local police used to love the brits coming over for the holidays as they would pull them over and fine them for wearing flip flops in their hire cars.
I’ve always kept driving shoes in the car so I can change if I’m wearing flip flops/high heels etc.

Nope I don’t drive in flip flops, I don’t feel like I can use the pedals properly. That being said, clearly your friend feels comfortable wearing them (as lots of people do) and I’m not sure what you could have said that wouldn’t have sounded a bit petty/weird.

I'm really shocked that people think it's ok to drive in flip flops. Surely it's basic common sense that it's unsafe? If I saw someone do it I would automatically think they were a bit dim.

I'm an Aussie and wear thongs flip flops a lot. I always slip them off when driving and go bare foot. I did tell an Irish friend once I wouldn't let her drive me if she didn't take her flip flops off.

I drive in mine but they are Fitflops so no flimsier than some sandals

Well, if we couldn’t wear thongs (our term for flip flops) you would have a whole country of people just standing there looking at their car and not one car on the road. Actually not true, we would have foreigners driving around on pretty empty roads .

I’m in my 50’s and have never heard of anyone here having any issue with thongs becoming stuck causing an accident. The only anecdotes I’ve heard in this regard are from people overseas. I think a lot of people just don’t know how to wear them properly? I have seen the odd thread here with people saying the oddest things about thongs, how the can’t run in them, they hurt between the toes, people make odd slapping noises wearing them and so on. Weird. If worn and walked in correctly none of that’s an issue. I drive in them with the only other alternative being barefoot.

When teaching my eldest to drive they wore their thongs, never occurred to me for them to drive in anything else? Pretty sure all their friends wear thongs while driving, and their parents, and everyone else who has grown up wearing thongs as standard footwear. So I can’t feel the outrage.

The Driving Standards Agency says no to flip flops and bare feet.

I would never drive in them and I cringe when I see other people doing so. Dangerous and silly.

Just asked my child, they took their driving test in thongs, fairly recently so definitely not illegal here. Barefoot driving also not illegal here.

Another one here who nearly had an accident whilst driving in flip flops about 15 years ago. I remember even then hearing people say you shouldn’t but thought I’d be fine as I’d never had a problem and felt comfortable. The near miss was enough to make sure I have never driven in them since.

I also thought I heard a few years ago that it is now illegal here and have presumed so for some time. Apparently not according to google. I’d certainly never wear them again for driving.

There was a fatal car accident near me last year, the dad was wearing flip flops, his daughter was killed.

Illegal in Spain. Not much is so I'm guessing they consider it to be pretty dangerous.

I live in flipflops most of the summer but when driving I just slip them off and drive barefoot. I actually passed my driving test barefoot and the examiner never said a word.

I stupidly wore flip flops when driving whilst pregnant (first time I did it and didn’t think it would be a problem) with my first DC and almost had an accident because of them, it scared the life out of me and I’m so thankful I managed to unwedge it and apply the brake before I hit the car in front of me.

I will never wear them to drive again and I will tell anyone else to do the same, the risks are just not worth it, not only to you but to other road users too!

I drive in flip flops. I consider them no more dangerous to the driving than any other of the things that we all do....driving after being up half the night with an ill child or an unsettled baby, driving with kids arguing and shouting in the back of the car, driving while having a swig from a water bottle....i also walk across roads. Risk there. I've had bacon for breakfast the past 2 days. Processed meat. Risk there.

In my view it's about making the best choices you can. It's the same for us all.
.

And of course, we are all more sensitive to the stuff that has gone wrong for us. Survival.

Very few people here in Cornwall wear anything else from May - September and certainly all drive in flip flops. I've never had a problem with it at all.

On the subject of road safety, have you seen this...

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/208008

MNers are among family/friend of the poor victim in this case, which sadly is far from uncommon. So sorry for the hijack, but time is running out for this petition to get to 10,000 in order for a government response. Thank you.

I wouldnt as I did once and the heel bit got caught on the floor and I couldnt move my foot to brake. Very scary.

I was told in my driving lessons with AA never to wear flip flops when driving and I never would!

I saw - or heard - someone come a cropper on a bike thanks to poor footwear. I saw her at the head of stationary traffic, then heard a shout, and next thing she was lying off to one side. I rushed over, assuming a motorist behind had pushed the cyclist over (yes, it does happen) - but she said her foot had slipped off the pedal and she’d lost her balance. Wedge mules . Being a cyclist myself, I get to regularly check out the completely unsuitable shoes people ride in.