Do you drive in flip flops?

[Incandescentangel]

I was people watching in a coffee shop yesterday, and noticed how many people were wearing flip flops. I started wondering how many of them had driven there wearing flip flops. I have always considered it a bit dangerous so I change into a pair of shoes for driving. Am I being sensible, or am I just being ridiculous?

I always drive in bare feet if im wearing slip on sandals.
I believe that the law is that you must be in full control of the vehicle. Thus if a flip flop slips off or gets caught and you have an accident you would be at fault. No idea whether there would be insurance implications.

Maybe PP means they wouldn't pay out for the damage to the drivers' car as she was driving dangerously at the time of the accident.

Insurers have to pay third-party damages but they can also claim those back from the driver in some circumstances.

I think people are being somewhat dramatic about this. People are at fault for accidents every single day. Obviously insurance still pays out for an accident you’ve caused. They just don’t pay out for the ones someone else caused 😆

But that’s common place- I caused an accident on a roundabout a few years ago and didn’t claim for my own car because I would have to pay the excess.

but had I paid the excess they would’ve paid out. That’s what insurance is for, unless you have only purchased third party fire and theft insurance (if that’s even a thing nowadays)

This isn't strictly true. If you're drunk (for example) when driving and have an accident, they'll pay for third-party damages but not for damage to your car. The same often applies if you're convicted of dangerous driving or speeding.

I do. They are crocs flip flops so they're a bit more fitted to my feet than a pair of primark basics.

I don't understand how anyone can drive in bare feet!

That's not what I mean.

I mean that if you have an accident and are found to be breaking the terms of your policy (or the law) you often can't claim for damage for your own vehicle (even if you do pay the excess). They will cancel your policy, pay for any third party damage and are then able to come after you in court for the costs.

Yes indeed. I would be so interested to know how many flip flop wearers were prosecuted for dangerous driving last year but I take your point about drunk driving etc

But that’s if you’re prosecuted. That is different to just “someone’s insurance company refused to pay out because she was wearing flip flops”

It's not just if you're prosecuted at all.

If you have an accident and are found to be breaking the terms of your policy at the time (for example, if you have a black box but it wasn't recording at the time), then your insurers have the right to cancel your policy (or even void it, which is worse). They have to cover the third party costs but they can also come after you in court.

You don't need to have been convicted of dangerous driving for it to happen, either.

What terms of your policy would you be breaking by wearing flip flops?

have you ever been asked what you were wearing when you have claimed for a car accident?

You have to be driving legally to be covered by insurance.

So if you have an accident, the police are involved and they write a report saying you lost control of your car due to your footwear, your insurers can refuse to pay out.

I've never been asked but then I've never had an accident involving the police.

So despite knowing better, you continue to endanger others. You are a treasure for sure.

yes I do.Never even thought about it TBH

But you would be driving legally. It’s legal to drive in flip flops.

I do remember my driving instructor telling me that driving barefoot was dangerous if you had to make an emergency stop.

You could still be charged by the police with careless driving. Would insurance pay out then?

Yes but I could also be charged with careless driving if I was distracted by my loud radio. That’s my point, people cause accidents every day. Flip flops really aren’t the drama people like to make it out. Every summer this urban myth about them being illegal to drive in gets trotted out and people get more and more wedded to it.

It is legal - but if you cause a crash and the police conclude that it was caused by your footwear, your insurers could still refuse to pay. It's technically classed as negligence. Just the same as if you're distracted because you're fiddling with the radio or looking for something you've dropped in the footwell.

No. They won't pay if you were breaking the law at the time.

Yes that’s what I mean. It’s a potential situation, nor something that automatically going to happen if a) you get in the car in flip flops and b) if you have an accident whilst wearing flip flops.

and I can’t see that it’s against the t&cs of your insurance to be wearing flip flops. Careless driving, presumably, is against the t&cs.

I'm not saying it's automatic, just that it's a risk.

And no, it won't be against your T&C's to be wearing flip flops but it will be against them to be driving dangerously and not paying attention (ie. not looking at the road or wearing shoes that mean you can't control your car).

Amazed how many people say they never do...and yet in summer months I dont see many people wearing full shoes or trainers

I’m Cornish so we live in flip flops a lot of the year. I often drive in flip flops or bare feet, it’s fine.

I find that MN is rarely representative of the general population 😂