UK drivers warned wearing the wrong shoes can lead to £100 fine

Cars driving on motorway

Wearing unsuitable footwear at the wheel could land motorists an on-the-spot fine

PA
Paige Creaney

By Paige Creaney


Published: 07/06/2023

- 13:14

Updated: 14/06/2023

- 12:14

Motorists could also see three points added to their licence

Motorists have been warned that driving in inappropriate footwear could land them a £100 fine, with Britons being warned against wearing flip flops in particular.

Rule 97 of the Highway Code states that you must have footwear that "does not prevent you using the controls in the correct manner" in order to drive.


This means driving in flip flops could land you a whopping fine if you were involved in an incident and police found you weren't in true control of the vehicle.

If the footwear restricts your movement and you are found to be driving dangerously, or involved in an accident as a result of this, you could be charged and face a £100 on the spot fine, as well as three points added to your licence.

Man wearing flip flops

Drivers wearing flip flops face a whopping fine

PA

Louise Thomas, Confused.com motor insurance expert, said: "It can be confusing to know the rules when it comes to driving in the correct clothing and footwear.

“With the weather warming up and many switching to their summer wardrobe, it’s important to know how this could impact your driving.

"If your clothing or footwear restricts your movement, you could find that it impacts your driving."

She added that while no law specifically bans any items of clothing, drivers should always be aware of anything that could impact on their control of the vehicle.

This means that shoes like high heels or platforms should be avoided too.

Guidelines on what footwear motorists are advised to drive in has been produced by RAC, who said a number of rules should be followed when it comes to driving.

They state that all footwear should have a sole no thicker than 10mm and should provide enough grip to stop your foot slipping off the pedals.

They also advise that shoes should be narrow enough to avoid accidentally depressing two pedals at once and should not limit ankle movement.

Person driving car

Drivers are being urged to remind themselves of the rules of the road

PA

Drivers are also advised to avoid wearing heavy shoes.

It comes after it was revealed that a little-known rule of the road could see drivers slapped with a £5,000 fine for breaking it.

Meanwhile, car owners were also warned about a possible £2,000 fine for not being polite behind the wheel.

You may like