Why not go for a ride in flip flops or slippers?

The American company Ford has done quite an interesting research. Its goal is to figure out which shoes the driver should wear. In the UK alone, the wrong footwear leads to 1,4 million accidents and dangerous situations a year, according to the manufacturer.

The most dangerous shoes behind the wheel

It turns out that flip flops and slippers are the riskiest option. Often in the summer you can see motorists who are shod in just such models. The reason is that flip-flops or slippers can easily slip off the driver's foot and end up under the pedal.

That is why in some European countries it is forbidden to ride with such shoes. Traffic rules of France provide for a fine for violation of such a rule 90 euros. If a driver violates this law in Spain, then 200 euros will have to be paid for such disobedience.

The technical side of the issue

According to research, shoes that are not secured to the rider's feet will increase the stopping time by approximately 0,13 seconds. This is enough to increase the braking distance of the car by 3,5 meters (if the car is moving at a speed of 95 km / h). In addition, when the foot is swimming in the slippers, the transition time from gas to brake is twice as long - about 0,04 seconds.

It turns out that about 6% of respondents prefer to ride barefoot, and 13,2% choose flip-flops or slippers. At the same time, 32,9% of drivers are so confident in their capabilities that they don't care what they wear.

Professional recommendations

It is for these reasons that the Royal Automobile Club of Great Britain recommends that drivers choose not high boots, but shoes with soles up to 10 mm, which is enough to easily and quickly move the foot from one pedal to another.