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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be worried about friend driving in flip flops?

233 replies

MargotLovedTom1 · 10/06/2018 12:20

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?!

OP posts:
Kursk · 11/06/2018 17:32

Getting in a car is one of the most dangerous things we do in life. Anything that makes that a bit safer (like wearing correct footwear) should be a no brainier.

I think that should read your life. Everyone is different.

Kursk · 11/06/2018 17:34

MargotLovedTom1

Yes in your particular circumstances and your perception of risk. That’s understandable and I don’t have a issue with that.

Original poster
MargotLovedTom1 · 11/06/2018 17:39

Yep, I've found it pretty shocking myself.

OP posts:
Original poster
MargotLovedTom1 · 11/06/2018 17:43

Kursk you seem so convinced if you have an accident it is 100% certain that you and only you will be affected, and that your choices will never impact on anyone else.

OP posts:
Amummyatlast · 11/06/2018 17:43

I'm amazed that people think it's ok to drive on flip flops or barefoot.

But what amazes me more are the people who, on being informed of the risk, are happy to take the risk. It's not just you at risk, you know. It's also the other people on the road/pavement who are risk at being run over or crashed into because of an accident caused by not wearing proper footwear.

Kursk · 11/06/2018 17:51

MargotLovedTom1

No not at all I accept that every decision/action I make will have consequences. Some could affect others some may not. Depending on who it may affect, will alter my perception of risk.

FoofFighter · 11/06/2018 18:03

Wow.

It's one thing previously wearing flip flops and not being aware of the terrible risks they pose - but to KNOW that it is very dangerous and not give a shit?

Shock
Natasha2 · 11/06/2018 18:08

It's not just you at risk, you know. It's also the other people on the road/pavement

Do you really think that someone who doesn't care about their own and their children's safety would consider other road users' lives?

I am sure that if the child of one of the flip flop wearers was hit by a motorist who was wearing flip flops, they would blame the flip flop wearer for not wearing them properly!

Anyone who has read this thread and continues to wear flip flops is unbelievably irresponsible and should not be allowed to drive.

Wussypants · 11/06/2018 18:23

Reading this before I drive home makes me wish I had a walkable commute. Too many idiots on the road!

BlueBiros · 11/06/2018 18:45

I don't drive in flip-flops (as I don't own any) but would like to point out that nobody has actually been able to say quite how risky they are for driving in. Are they equivalent to drink driving or mobile phone use (in which case a change in the law is necessary) or are they equivalent to driving after a couple of cups of coffee (in which case maybe there are a lot of over-cautious people on this thread)?

Using the fact that insurance companies use them as an excuse to wriggle out if paying is neither here nor there - they are profit making companies so will avoid payouts wherever possible.

Delatron · 11/06/2018 18:51

Considering my husband has had a car crash wearing flip flops (and yes the flip flops caused the crash) and hearing the many stories on here, including the one where a child was killed. All a direct result of wearing flip flops, I'd say no, not the same as drinking a couple of cups of coffee (what?!).

Delatron · 11/06/2018 18:53

You want actual flip flop crash statistics? Why does anyone need to wear flip flops to drive anyway? Honesty, this thread is scary.

CheeseyToast · 11/06/2018 19:01

I think this thread just highlights how ignorant people are

Or, that not everyone lives in the little world of England. You can shout and stamp and disprove all you like, but your opinion is simply that, there is no factual or statistical basis to your hysteria

Notonthestairs · 11/06/2018 19:02

I'm another driver that had a flip flop bend over and get stuck. Thankfully it happened in a near empty car park which gave me room to swerve whilst wrangling with it - but it gives me the shudders to think if it had happened on the road.

Just stick a pair of shoes in the car to wear when driving.

And nobody's had an accident until they have.

BlueBiros · 11/06/2018 19:04

I was just interested if any of the posters saying "why take the risk" could actually quantify the risk - so yeah, I was looking for statistics rather than anecdata/perceived risk. As I said, I don't own any flip flops so it wouldn't affect my own driving footwear decisions.

Coffee has a demonstrable affect on reaction times, so driving after coffee was the first thing that came to mind as slightly more risky but (probably) not significant. On deeper thinking tho, I'm not sure there would be reliable statistics on coffee vs non-coffee accidents - but I'm sure I could figure out the affect on average breaking distance.

BlueBiros · 11/06/2018 19:05

Or should that be "the effect on average braking distance"?! I never can get those two right.

Original poster
MargotLovedTom1 · 11/06/2018 19:09

Why do you think many other countries have banned driving in them CheeseyToast ? On a whim? To piss people off? For the hell of it?

The fact that these are countries where the weather tends to be hot (Spain, Brazil, Portugal, France) and flip flop wearing is likely to be prevalent, suggests that they may have looked at their crash statistics and determined that unsuitable footwear was the cause of too many accidents thus leading to a ban. Not beyond the realms of probablilty?

OP posts:
NotUmbongoUnchained · 11/06/2018 19:09

I rolled my car driving in flip flops. Now I slip them off and drive bare foot.

JoyceDivision · 11/06/2018 19:11

I find Birkenstocks, the single strap (Madrid?) Equally dangerous .. when foot raises with pedal, the sole of the shoe stays pointing down as it's only held over their by the toes so nothing further up the doorkeeper healed pulled up to the foot, and itwedgesagainst the floor... Don't wear them to drive anymore, always have a pair of cheap pumps in the boot now

Delatron · 11/06/2018 19:12

The fact that many, many people on this thread have had issues with the flip flops coming off and getting stuck should be enough. Yes plus the ban in other countries. They haven't banned them for no reason.

You don't need to wear flip flops to drive. I don't wear wellies to drive either. Because I don't want to do anything that puts me at risk of injuring myself, my children and other people.

Original poster
MargotLovedTom1 · 11/06/2018 19:13

Do you actually go around quantifying risk using official data in your day to day life BlueBiros or do you tend to think , like most people: "Fuck, that feels a bit dodgy. I'm not going to do that."

OP posts:
Natasha2 · 11/06/2018 19:18

Using the fact that insurance companies use them as an excuse to wriggle out if paying is neither here nor there - they are profit making companies so will avoid payouts wherever possible.

Yes, they are profit making companies, but the Financial Ombudsman Service would intervene if they were being unreasonable. Don't you think that the idiots who wear flip flops would appeal if their "perfectly safe" footware was deemed responsible for a crash?

BlueBiros · 11/06/2018 19:30

To be fair, I was a risk analyst in a former life so I tend to prefer to make decisions based on actual evidence. It annoys me when people assume that because something feels more risky to them it actually is. If I have no available stats then I go on what feels about right to me, but don't have a go at others for making different decisions.

For instance, it feels (to me) that talking on a hand free kit is unsafe as I had a bad experience. So I don't do it. But that doesn't mean it is inherently more risky, and it certainly doesn't mean I get to have a go at others for doing it.

BlueBiros · 11/06/2018 19:31

That's a fair point, Natasha, I didn't know the FOS had the right to dictate things like that.

ChorleyFMcominginyourears · 11/06/2018 19:32

In fairness a lot of insurance companies won't pay out if you're in an accident and were wearing flip flops or any other footwear they don't deem as sensible! My friend found out the hard way! Not all insurance companies btw