Most of us are familiar with common safety precautions drivers can take when they get behind the wheel. But we often overlook a key part of safe driving: feet! It’s our feet down there doing all the heavy lifting (or rather, pushing), and what we choose to put on them can hinder our ability to drive safely. Here are the three types of footwear to avoid behind the wheel:
Flip Flops
Flip flops can slide around on a person’s foot while they are operating a car. They can get stuck under the brake pedal or propped up under the gas pedal and cause an accident. Any kind of backless or loose sandal, slipper, or mule increases this risk and is a danger to drive in.
“an often-overlooked safety preparation that drivers can take to reduce the chances of getting into a deadly car crash is simple: Wear the right shoes.”
High Heels
Shoes with high heels lift the heel of your foot away from the floor of the car. To push the pedals down with high heels your foot needs to travel farther just to apply the same amount of pressure you are used to when braking or accelerating.
The base of a high heel, especially if it’s thin like a stiletto, could get caught on the floor mat and restrict your movements between the pedals. To drive properly, your foot needs to be able to pivot at the heel from gas to brakes and back again, or move between them, which can be encumbered by a high heel.
High heels raise the angle your foot is on, moving the arch of your foot away from the pedals, and forcing you to move your foot farther every time you want to press the pedal. Especially if you are not used to the angle and pressure needed to properly apply the gas or brakes while wearing heels, wearing a high heel while driving poses serious dangers to yourself and road users around you.
Platforms
driving with platform shoes, “could cause you to miss a pedal, press two pedals at the same time, or use the wrong amount of pressure”
Very thick-soled shoes like platforms, wedges, or heavy boots may feel good to walk on, but all that padding prevents your feet from feeling the pedals. Without the feeling of the pedals underfoot, you run the risk of braking too softly or too suddenly, accelerating too fast, or catching a second pedal under your sole when you’re trying to push the other one.
Barefoot
If you usually drive with shoes on, then driving barefoot is going to feel quite different and put you at risk of an accident. Without the weight of shoes, you will have to manually apply more pressure to the pedals than you’re used to just to push them as far as you usually do.
Feeling something sharp on the pedal like a stone could cause you to suddenly remove your foot from the brake, or your bare foot may slip off the pedal, both increasing your possibility of rear-ending someone.
“If your footwear, or lack of it, causes you to drive erratically or get in a crash, you could be charged with careless driving.”
However, if it’s between any of the above options and going barefoot, then no shoes are better than impractical shoes. At least a bare foot allows you to feel the pedals and control the pressure you put on them.
It is important to break in (not brake in) your shoes before you attempt to drive in them, so there aren’t any surprises when you’re behind the wheel.
It’s best to put your heels and sandals in the trunk and drive in comfortable, supportive sneakers. You can even keep a pair of running shoes in your car so you know they’re always available.
Save the fashion for your destination; prioritize safety in the driver’s seat.
To read the original article that inspired this blog, visit https://www.rd.com/list/shoes-shouldnt-wear-driving/
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