Can I drive a car with flip-flops on?
When driving a car, road safety is paramount. Wearing flip-flops makes you more likely to have an accident. They can go off or worse, get stuck under the brake. The chance of this may be small, but you do have a greater chance of accidents. In the Netherlands, driving with flip-flops is not prohibited. In certain vacation countries it is. Something to keep in mind during a car vacation.
Driving becomes safer with proper footwear
Driving a car can be compared to riding a bicycle. With flip-flops you are more likely to slip off the pedals. It usually goes well, but there is a greater chance of something going wrong. This also applies to cycling barefoot. The grip is worse compared to shoes with a good sole. Slipping off the pedals of your bicycle once can already have major consequences. When driving a car, the consequences are even greater. In trying to put your foot back on the brake, the slipper can get caught behind the brake. What the consequences may be need
Driving a car with flip-flops is allowed, or is it not?
In law, driving with flip-flops is not prohibited. Nevertheless, there is something in the law in which you can read driver liability with some creativity. Namely, the Road Traffic Act states:
"It is forbidden for any person to behave in such a way as to cause or be likely to cause danger on the road or to impede or be likely to impede traffic on the road."
This legal provision is unlikely to be used to make drivers wearing flip-flops anything. If the legislature wants to prohibit it, there should be a statutory provision specifically to do so. So legally it is allowed, but you can be held liable if damage is caused by your "dangerous" actions in traffic. It remains to be seen what the courts think about this.
Some vacation countries do prohibit driving with flip-flops
In France and Spain, you risk a fine. In a traffic accident caused by your flip-flops, you have an even bigger problem. In countries where driving with flip-flops is prohibited, it will also be easier to hold you liable for damages incurred. Avoid problems and don't drive with flip-flops on. In addition to risking a fine and the chance of being held liable, you are also putting the health of yourself and others at risk. Also read the article "Driver wearing flip-flops more likely to get hurt in France or Spain".
The risk of driving with slippers on does not get much attention in the Netherlands. In fact, this risk and the risk of an accident are dwarfed by other issues. Speeding, driving with alcohol at the wheel and using a smartphone in traffic carry a much greater risk. Still, it's best not to do it. Not even when it's tropically hot outside.
Figures
Research from the University of Leeds has shown that on average you lose one-tenth of a second when you go from the gas to the brake pedal with flip-flops. In addition, you have three percent less braking power when pushing the brake pedal. These two factors make your braking distance 7.5 meters longer at a speed of 90 kilometers per hour.
Another survey of 1,000 drivers found that 27 percent of those surveyed have experienced discomfort when driving with flip-flops. In addition, 11 percent have ever gotten stuck behind a pedal and 7 percent have ever experienced an accident or near miss due to wearing flip-flops.
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