Driving barefoot

Johnny Utah

Is it against the law to drive a car without any footwear?

Would it be considered dangerous driving?

Leeg17

No but for the test I've heard of people wearing shoes even though they prefer to drive barefoot. Don't see how it would be considered dangerous driving if it doesn't affect your driving in any way.

Max Power1

I would be surprised if it is against the law tbh.

What should be is women in high heels driving

Nissan doctor

There would be no reason for it to be dangerous driving.. you could argue that you'd have a better feel on the pedals. In australia and new zealand it is very common for people to drive barefoot.

I've often done it during the summer and away and never felt it was an issue.

Plug

It can be a bit tricky with just socks. Never tried barefoot, might give it a blast later. Also its crucial to have the feet heater on full whack, nice!

corktina

driving naked with the top down might be frowned on....

Nissan doctor

corktina wrote: »

driving naked with the top down might be frowned on....

Depends on where you are....:P

Since I went back to work after Christmas I've been driving to and from work in steel towed safety boots. One corridor at work where you don't have to wear them to facilitate folks coming in and out, I'm based in an office 10 yards past the cut off point :rolleyes: I think I drove barefoot a few times, was wearing summer sandal yokes I wouldn't attempt driving in, bit weird. Also need to have clean floor mats with no pebbles etc :pac:

pajo1981

I once drove to Dundee barefoot.

I was going trough toblerone addiction withdrawal.

Anan1

IMO it requires a completely different technique with the clutch, as the pedal won't slide against the sole of your foot as it would with shoes.

cml387

No absolutely not.
You cannot apply the same force to the brake pedal in the event of requiring an emergency stop.

peasant

Done it a few times, wouldn't recommend ...it hurts

wilson10

cml387 wrote: »

No absolutely not.
You cannot apply the same force to the brake pedal in the event of requiring an emergency stop.

I think you mean yes, it is dangerous and I would absolutely agree.

It could mean the difference between life and death.

galwaytt

...can someone tell me why you would want to do it ?

Johnny Utah

What do ye think of this?

http://www.tv3.ie/shows.php?request=drivingmecrazy




Lisa Murphy, the partner of celebrity solicitor Gerald Kean, appeared on TV3's 'Driving Me Crazy' tonight. During the programme, Ms Murphy drove the car from Dublin to Galway without any shoes as she was unable to drive in her (ridiculously) high heels. You think she would have brought appropriate footwear given the fact that she obviously knew beforehand that she would have to undertake some driving during this programme. :rolleyes:

Be careful now lads, he'll sue us if we say anything bad about her :pac:

-Corkie-

RoverJames wrote: »

Be careful now lads, he'll sue us if we say anything bad about her :pac:

Jaysus her make up looks cat. First thing I would do is bring her to Paintdoctor..:pac:

finnegan2010

had to do it one day long story but my socks and runners were SOAKED. As the chap before said your foot doesnt slide properly on the pedal and after 5 minutes the sole of my foot resting on the pedal part was in excruciating pain.
Wouldnt recoomend it

Stheno

Plug wrote: »

It can be a bit tricky with just socks. Never tried barefoot, might give it a blast later. Also its crucial to have the feet heater on full whack, nice!

Socks tend to be slippy and if you have sweaty feet, it's worse.

Driving in very high (four - six inch) heels is similiar (have done both) the soles of my feet ended up aching in both regards, especially in slow moving traffic.

Blut2

galwaytt wrote: »

...can someone tell me why you would want to do it ?

In summertime at the weekends (or in hot countries!) if I'm wearing flipflops I'll pop them off when I drive anywhere and go barefoot. Would feel far less safe driving in them than barefoot, they could get caught under the pedal or anything.

Any girl who drives on a nightout to a nightclub/pub would be better off driving barefoot than in heels too Id imagine.

You have to drive in "appropriate footwear"

I know of a girl who was in an accident (rear ended) and when the guards came they told her they could "do her" for driving in her slippers.

You could argue that high heels aren't "appropriate footwear" though.

mawk

I like to do it for short distances. Wouldn't do it over length in case the car broke down and i'd to get out and go somewhere

mawk

mawk wrote: »

I like to do it for short distances. Wouldn't do it over length in case the car broke down and i'd to get out and go somewhere

um, couldn't you just put your shoes on before getting out of the car?

Alanstrainor

mtb_kng wrote: »

hehe

Sexist comments aren't welcome on this board. You can count this as your final warning. Any more and you'll be getting infracted/banned for it.

Seth Brundle

Deleted User wrote: »

You have to drive in "appropriate footwear"

I know of a girl who was in an accident (rear ended) and when the guards came they told her they could "do her" for driving in her slippers.

I often wear slippers on a long drive.
They are comfortable and I've a better feel of the pedals. They are no more dangerous than laceless shoes though and not like your friends, fluffy and shaped like teddy bears!

galwaytt

galwaytt wrote: »

...can someone tell me why you would want to do it ?

Ive driven in socks a few times and its grand and comfortable.

However women do it always as they cannot drive in heels, Ive seen nearly every woman I ever been in a car with drive without shoes (as they would often have tights on) at some point.

golden8

Where in the Rules of the Road does it say it is illegal to drive a mechanically propelled vehicle to drive barefoot?

Seth Brundle

golden8 wrote: »

Where in the Rules of the Road does it say it is illegal to drive a mechanically propelled vehicle to drive barefoot?

The ROTR is an interpretation of the law and not the law itself!

mickdw

I find its sore when putting required pressure on brake pedal. not a good idea

Saruman

If you have to hit the brakes suddenly, there is no way you can apply correct force and keep it there. As soon as you feel pain your natural reaction will be to move your foot off the brake and you end up rear ending someone or knocking down a pedestrian.

Completely irresponsible IMO.

Bigus

Proper Racing and rallying fire proof boots are very very thin to give feel and you sure do have to push the brake pedal hard in competition.

If we lived in a hot climate this wouldn't even come up for discussion.

Just because some posters on here are not used to it doesn't make barefoot driving inherently dangerous.

Nissan doctor

Do some people wear shoes and socks 24 hours a day or something that their delicate feet get hurt by a pedal?

As I said already, I've driven barefoot many times and sometimes for very long distances and found it no different. If you have socks on they are very slippy on the pedals but barefoot you have a more direct feel of the pedal. I certainly can't imagine any reason why it would hurt??

golden8

kbannon wrote: »

The ROTR is an interpretation of the law and not the law itself!

I did a search on the site and there is nothing down in writing. So can anybody be done for it since its not there in writing.

Seth Brundle

golden8 wrote: »

I did a search on the site and there is nothing down in writing. So can anybody be done for it since its not there in writing.

Be done for what?
I'm sure some of the wimmins slippers that you would see when being dragged through Arnotts would not be safe footwear to use whilst driving and could expose the driver to something like careless driving or driving a vehicle when unfit.

bmw535d

any drive in heavy steel toe cap boots? feels great as all the pedals feel light because of the weight of the boot.

golden8

lol

bladebrew

bmw535d wrote: »

any drive in heavy steel toe cap boots? feels great as all the pedals feel light because of the weight of the boot.

i have tried it, it feels fairly different to driving in normal runners, except my pedals are so close together its a nightmare:(

Irish-trucker

I had a close one before, I was driving a tractor turning into a yard on country road,and a GOBSH!TE ran into me; He came around a bend far too quickly and could'nt stop when he seen me turning.
He had wafer thin flipflops on him,he might as well have been barefoot ..pure clown could have killed himself, no attempt was made to stop at all , and when he got out there was only one flip flop on him.He was Blessed .

There would have been no incident if he had proper footwear on .

Run_to_da_hills

Driving barefoot is great until you step out of the car and stand on dog sh*t, worse again when it gets stuck between your toes. :eek:

I use to drive barefoot in my combie out in Australian, wouldn't have an interest in doing it here.

Nissan doctor

Irish-trucker wrote: »

I had a close one before, I was driving a tractor turning into a yard on country road,and a GOBSH!TE ran into me; He came around a bend far too quickly and could'nt stop when he seen me turning.
He had wafer thin flipflops on him,he might as well have been barefoot ..pure clown could have killed himself, no attempt was made to stop at all , and when he got out there was only one flip flop on him.He was Blessed .

There would have been no incident if he had proper footwear on .

I recon it would go without saying that your incident was down to his lack of driving ability, not his footwear.

Irish-trucker

When you say driving ability - sort of , he was not expecting the unexpected on a country road that many farms are on (the man knew the area) he speed also was a factor.

But without a doubt it, was his choice of footwear that nearly killed him.
Little skinny feckin yokes hangin off his feet ,and id say when he went to jam on there were all over the place on his feet!

peasant

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Do some people wear shoes and socks 24 hours a day or something that their delicate feet get hurt by a pedal?

As I said already, I've driven barefoot many times and sometimes for very long distances and found it no different. If you have socks on they are very slippy on the pedals but barefoot you have a more direct feel of the pedal. I certainly can't imagine any reason why it would hurt??

All I can say from my experience (no light controls, no girlie buttons) driving barefoot in an old VW van does not work. Pedals (incl. the accelerator ) are there to be stomped on ...to do that I need decent soles under my feet to distribute the load.

My size 12's ain't dainty ...but neither are the pedals in my van

Bodhan

Driving barefoot is common in places like New Zealand where people spend most of their day barefoot.
There is some risk if your not used to being barefoot while driving, the sole of your foot will be soft and unused to pushing hard on the pedals, I can't say that you'll crash because you can't push the pedal hard enough, but you might stub your toe a bit.

corktina

whether your foot is pressing on the sole of your shoe or the pedal itself surely is much the same isnt it? I cant see a problem with it.

peasant

corktina wrote: »

whether your foot is pressing on the sole of your shoe or the pedal itself surely is much the same isnt it? I cant see a problem with it.

Well then ...go out into your parked car, take your shoes and socks off and mash your clutch and brake pedal repeatedly. Feet that rarely walk bare won't stand for it long

corktina

how so? sharp pebbles and the like would present a problem to bare feet, but why should a nice smooth brake pedal be any differeent than the bottom of your shoe?

dr.fuzzenstein

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Driving barefoot is great until you step out of the car and stand on dog sh*t, worse again when it gets stuck between your toes. :eek:

Yikes!
If that don't put you off, nothing else will.
Personally I think you just don't have the same control as with proper shoes, but some shoes aren't great either, i.e. flip flops, high heels and shoes with leather sole.
Tried it once or twice but found it more difficult to really hit the brake or clutch.
Plus all the crap that's in my footwell, sweetwrappers, chicken bones, pebbles from my drive, etc... I'll just stick with my shoes thank you very much.:)

peasant

corktina wrote: »

how so? sharp pebbles and the like would present a problem to bare feet, but why should a nice smooth brake pedal be any differeent than the bottom of your shoe?

Firstly, most pedals aren't nice and smooth, they have a textured surface. But more importantly, you don't always hit the pedal right square in the middle of the pedal or the middle of your foot. In an emergency you might hit the pedal nearer the edge and nearer the arch of your foot or only with your toes ...and that either really hurts or simply doesn't convey the full force.

Also, your bare foot is far more flexible than a shoe. Hit the pedal not fully and your foot will flex and slip off the edge or at least not convey full force

Really ..you should go out and try it (while parked)

corktina

peasant wrote: »

Firstly, most pedals aren't nice and smooth, they have a textured surface. But more importantly, you don't always hit the pedal right square in the middle of the pedal or the middle of your foot. In an emergency you might hit the pedal nearer the edge and nearer the arch of your foot or only with your toes ...and that either really hurts or simply doesn't convey the full force.

Also, your bare foot is far more flexible than a shoe. Hit the pedal not fully and your foot will flex and slip off the edge or at least not convey full force

Really ..you should go out and try it (while parked)

secondly?

corktina

corktina wrote: »

secondly?

I think 'also' is as good as secondly tbf

wilson10

Peasant, you're just wasting your time with people who are obviously a bit scarce with the common sense