Why is it against the law to drive without footwear?

Question

Just curious about this. I was driving the kids to McDonalds and it hit me...why do we have to wear shoes when we drive?

Answer 1

Well i remember the Driving inspector looking at my feet, to check if the shoes were on. And he said, "that's good keep it on always, some women come with no shoes on. " I think he meant the Peddler is designed for shoes, and a better grip at the brakes, accelerator, and clutch. It does slip if one does not wear shoes while driving. I checked that out too.

Answer 2

the answer I have is because feet don't have the traction that footwear can have, that way your feet don't slip and you don't have a problem with clutch action saving your gears and also acceleration is another factor.

Answer 3

It's fine to drive barefoot. In spite of persistent myths, there are NO laws against driving barefoot. Unfortunately, this myth is so common that even some cops believe it... but everyone who believes this please see source and stop spreading this falsity.

Some cops are convinced it's unsafe and even though they know it's not illegal may try to write you up for unsafe or reckless driving, however please see the second and third link in the source, for two sites (one from the Michigan PD, one from an Australian newspaper) making it clear that driving barefoot is no more unsafe than many types of footwear that are regularly worn and could even be considered safer than many kinds of shoes. And several US friends have told me their driving instructors advised them to take off high heels or loose footwear when driving, instructors definitely aren't all anti-barefoot driving!

I agree with the one previous poster who said a lot depends on what you're used to. As a full-time barefooter my feet are strong and the soles are thick enough that a pebble wouldn't faze me no matter how hard I had to step down on it. I've not had any kind of footwear on my feet for eleven years, it'd be like driving with boxing gloves. But if you always wear sturdy footwear then even a tiny pebble or irregularity might make you pull back (I have one friend who can't walk comfortably barefoot on smooth tile) and your foot as a whole won't be as strong without the support it's used to either.

Answer 4

It isn't against the law, but it's a persistent urban legend that it is, and unfortunately, if you have an accident it can be listed as contributing to the accident if you are bare foot.  But there is no law in any state against it.

Dear Yahoo!:

Is it illegal to drive barefoot?

Ryan

Oak Park, Illinois  



Dear Ryan:

While most driving schools recommend wearing proper footwear while operating a vehicle, we were unable to find any specific laws against driving sans shoes.

Jason R. Heimbaugh has taken an exhaustive look at the subject. He's gathered 42 official replies to the query, "Is it legal to drive barefoot in your state?" Look for yours.

Answer 5

Just because that some people are not used to doing so and have caused an accident with that doesn't mean it's illegal. It's an offence to cause an accident due to carelessness, but it's legal to drive anyhow, be it barefoot, with socks or in footwear.

For me however, because I've been used to wearing thicker soles driving (Steel-sole + steel-toe safety shoes) as an automotive personnel, I'm no longer comfortable wearing soft sole shoes to drive already (i.e. thin-sole footwear, eg "cloth shoes" and flip-flops). Also, I drive all cars in manual transmission (i.e. clutch pedal involved) and only a few in auto, so this increases my ability of driving with thick soles.

Answer 6

Well, you have all these little bones in your feet which allow your foot to bend and twist, which isn't great for a gas or brake pedal.

You need a fixed, flat surface on the bottom of your foot so that you can control your speed and brake efficiently.

Answer 7

because without wearing shoes you might become somewhat loose, s**y and have a sense of freedom ? do you get me ?

and the man of law might be tempted when stopping you and seeing you like that and that's why they need a legal thing to minimize these events and so on... :)

Answer 8

is a bunch of bull....  not wearing any shoes and driving as nothing to do with anything.... i guess we have to wear shirts too right.... been driving a long time and yes a lot was without shoes and ive never got a ticket for it

Answer 9

Its not as far as I know but it could be a hazard because your foot could slip of the brake or gas pedal, less traction without shoes.....

Answer 10

The main reason is because if something leaks out on to your feet it is going to be hot . you also have less grip on the peddles. your foot could slip off. The main reason "just because".  :)

Answer 11

It isn't against the law in any state or province, despite what some officers may say.  However it is dumb, and if you are in an accident, you could get a ticket for not wearing shoes based on not being able to maintain control.  Let's face it, if there is a little stone on the bottom of your foot, picked up off the floor of the car, you aren't going ot be putting proper pressure on the brakes in an emergency.