In certain areas, mostly in warm locations, you can find people getting behind the wheel on flip flops, which brings attention to safety campaigners.
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But, is it illegal to drive in flip flops in the US? While many experts have their say in this regard, there’s no law against the use of any specific footwear while on the road.
In fact, you are allowed to wear flips flops as long as you don’t cause a crash or commit an infraction while on the road.
Some drivers feel comfortable wearing flip flops or any other flat footwear while others, with less experience behind the wheel, are more hesitant and vulnerable to make costly mistakes.
What does the law say about driving in flip flops?
There isn’t any legislation against the use of certain footwear in any of the 50 states of the country.
You are even allowed to drive barefoot without any restrictions because there’s no rule that could ever stop you.
If you ever hear someone telling you that driving in flip flops or barefoot is illegal, then take it as a misconception until your local state officially passes a law against it.
Is it safe to drive in flip flops?
Just because you are allowed to wear any type of footwear doesn’t mean you are acting safely.
If you are accustomed to wear flip flops when sitting behind the wheel, you will need to pay attention to some safety concerns you need to be aware.
First, driving in flip flops can be dangerous as it limits your ability to drive. For instance, imagine you have to press on the brake but the strap of your sandal got caught in the accelerator.
You wouldn’t be able to brake on time increasing the chances of getting involved in a car accident.
Secondly, wearing flip flops also leads to distraction as your sandal can get stuck under the pedal, diverting your attention from the road while trying to fix the problem.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that more 1000 people are injured each day owing to distracted driving.
Distracted driving is an issue that many drivers cannot seem to avoid, and it only takes few seconds to suffer fatal consequences.
Lastly, if whatever you choose to do or wear results in a car accident, you may end up paying more money for the damages and other injuries.
You don’t want to get in trouble for an accident that you could have avoided by wearing the right footwear before heading out to the road.
Overall, driving in flips flops is not illegal, but what do you do to enhance your safety while on the road? That’s a question that you need to ask to yourself.
Do you feel in danger when driving in flip flops? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
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