Driving barefoot

[Kricket]

My husband hates it when I drive barefoot and insists that there is a law against it.
I've looked online and asked a few police officers and some officers say yes and some say no. bleh
So, is it really that big of a deal?
Other dopers do you drive barefoot on occation?
Why on earth could this be illegal? I feel there is a bit more control on the petals barefoot besides the fact I just really don't like to wear shoes whenever I can get away with it.
They do sit on the floorboard under my seat though for when I have to do shoping or what have you.

[Slacker]

That would bother me too. It strikes me as unnecessarily dangerous (too easy to miss a pedal, stub a toe, etc), but I don't know that it's illegal. If it's causing issues with your driving I'd bet you could get ticketed for the resulting behavior (reckless driving or whatever).

[A.R. Cane]

You looked online? Funny, I got lots of hits. This guy pursued the question in 1994:
http://web.archive.org/web/20030618105020/http://www.urbanlegends.com/legal/driving.barefoot/driving_barefoot.html

You should note that local gov'ts. may address the issue, such as beach communities.

[Freudian Push Up Bra]

Welp, I learnt to drive barefooted. Here, insurance won't cover you if you were wearing flip flops/ thongs because they make it easier for your foot to slide off the pedal. I drive shod but it freaks me out sometimes because I can't feel the size of the pedal and whether I'm only touching one pedal or two.

[Patty O'Furniture]

If you're driving barefoot that means you might have kicked off your shoes while driving and left them wandering around loose behind the brake pedal. That could be one reason behind a law against barefoot driving.

[Argent Towers]

I remember once a hardened old cop came to my high school to give us a scare-them-straight traffic safety talk. He began by asking the whole auditorium, "how many of you know there's a law against driving barefoot in Indiana?" Dozens of hands went up. Then he said, "there is no law against driving barefoot in Indiana."

I love it when know-it-alls are put in their place! It reminded me of the scene in American Psycho where Bateman goes back to Paul Allen's apartment, sees a realtor showing it to some people, and she asks him, "Are you here about the ad in the Times?" and he says, "yes," and she says, "there was no ad in the Times."

[Fern Forest]

I'd say it's very common here in Hawaii. I strongly prefer it since I feel like I get better a better feel for the pedal and how it's pushed in. Driving with a shoe is like driving with a numb foot.

[Dervorin]

I'd say it's very common here in Hawaii. I strongly prefer it since I feel like I get better a better feel for the pedal and how it's pushed in. Driving with a shoe is like driving with a numb foot.
I leant to drive barefoot because it's far easier to accurately control the pedals, particularly on a manual transmission. The first time I drove with shoes it felt like I'd had my feet amputated - NO SENSATION!! (Insert condom analogy here as required). I've since got to the point where I'm perfectly happy with shoes, but I still occassionally drive barefoot just to regain that feeling of absolute control over the clutch and accelerator. Not ever more than a couple of minutes, though, and not on public roads.

[twickster]

When I'm wearing flip-flops, I take off the right one when I'm driving -- I'm concerned about it getting tangled in the pedals when I move my foot from one to the other.

Well, that was the original concern. Now it's just habit. Ah, summer -- can't wait for the first time I kick off my flip-flop to drive!

[Auntbeast]

Obviously, whoever came up with the idea that being shod while driving never wore heels.

Is this going to end up a "do you take your shoes off in the car?" thread?

[UntouchedTakeaway]

I drive barefoot. I'm a high-heel devotee, and they don't mix with the brake pedal. In the winter, I wear "driving shoes" - rubberized shoes that are lined in fleece.

VCNJ~

[Kalhoun]

That would bother me too. It strikes me as unnecessarily dangerous (too easy to miss a pedal, stub a toe, etc), but I don't know that it's illegal. If it's causing issues with your driving I'd bet you could get ticketed for the resulting behavior (reckless driving or whatever).
It is (or was...maybe it changed) illegal in Illinois. I never understood the logic behind it, but you can get a ticket for it.

[Harmonious Discord]

We've had this discussion many times on this board, and no laws have been found by the members banning bare foot driving. I of course can't find it in search like most stuff posted before this year. I don't know if they chopped out a large chunk of the database or if it's a search engine thing. This is one of the topics that should be put into a permanent archive.

[Sattua]

My driver's ed instructor actually recommended that, on long road trips, the driver take shoes off. The "stimulation" on the foot was supposed to help you stay awake.

I've never done it. The pedals on my car are dirty, and my socks are clean, and I want it to stay that way.

[WhyNot]

It is (or was...maybe it changed) illegal in Illinois. I never understood the logic behind it, but you can get a ticket for it.
It's NOT! Shed those shoes, Kalhoun, and I'll meet you at the beach!

Yep, I was also told whilst growing up in Illinois that it was illegal to drive barefoot. Apparently not. (http://tafkac.org/legal/driving.barefoot/driving_barefoot.html)
* OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE DRIVER SERVICES DEPARTMENT GEORGE H. RYAN 2701 SOUTH DIRKSEN PARKWAY SECRETARY OF STATE SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS 62723

June 9, 1994

Mr. Jason R. Heimbaugh
R.R. 1, Box 120
Champaign, IL 61821

Dear Mr. Heimbaugh:

Thank you for your recent letter concerning the legality of operating a motor vehicle barefoot. It is always a pleasure to respond to citizens interested in familiarizing themselves with traffic laws.

You are correct in your belief that there may be a misconception concerning this issue. We do from time to time get inquiries such as yours. I am pleased to advise that there are no provisions in the Illinois Vehicle Code that prohibits operating a motor vehicle "barefoot".

I hope this information has been of interest. Please feel free to contact this office any time I may be of assistance.

Sincerely,

Greg O'Connor
Director
Drivers Services Department

GO'C:isb

Here is the entire Illinois Vehicle Code. (http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ChapAct=625%20ILCS%205/&ActName=Illinois%20Vehicle%20Code.&ChapterName=VEHICLES&ChapterID=49&ActID=1815)

Neither the sections on ARTICLE V. DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED, TRANSPORTING ALCOHOLIC LIQUOR, AND RECKLESS DRIVING (http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=062500050HCh%2E+11+Art%2E+V&ActID=1815&ChapAct=625+ILCS+5%2F&ChapterID=49&ChapterName=VEHICLES&SectionID=59643&SeqStart=101500&SeqEnd=103100&ActName=Illinois+Vehicle+Code%2E) or ARTICLE XIV. MISCELLANEOUS LAWS (http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=062500050HCh%2E+11+Art%2E+XIV&ActID=1815&ChapAct=625+ILCS+5%2F&ChapterID=49&ChapterName=VEHICLES&SectionID=59704&SeqStart=111600&SeqEnd=116000&ActName=Illinois+Vehicle+Code%2E) has any mention of the words "foot", "footwear", "shoes", or "barefoot". I don't have time to search all the other sections - those seemed the most likely ones based on content.

[Sapo]

Another vote for barefoot driving. I don't care to wear my sandals returning from the beach. They are all sandy and chafe my feet. Plus it is great for long drives. You can rest your whole foot on the floor and accelerate with just the toes. Keeps you awake, too.

[Earthworm Jim]

It strikes me as unnecessarily dangerous (too easy to miss a pedal, stub a toe, etc)
Cars are deathtraps regardless of whether or not you're wearing shoes. For example (also read: Anecdote Time!)

I had my clutch go out ~50 miles from home as a kid. I've had a bottle of (water, soda, something) get trapped underneath my brake pedal. Scary! I've had my brakes stop working - pedal sink to the floor with no response. Another scary moment! I've had 3 out of 5 lug nuts on my front drivers-side tire shear off on a 500 mile trip (with my new wife & stepdaughter in the car). I've had a radiator hose bust & had to bandage it with duct tape (saving lives since 1942). I had my car die & refuse to start in the middle of I-95 in Boston during rush hour. I've had my transmission fall apart at ~75 MPH. I've had some belt or other snap & lost power steering. I've had my timing belt snap. I've had several alternators go & at least once had to replace it while standing in a foot of icy slushy snowy water during a snow storm. I've had all my lights die while driving at night. I've had a fuel line rupture - want to talk nausea? Breath gasoline while stuck in traffic in 100 degree weather with no AC! I've had my windshield wipers die during downpours in two different cars. I've been caught out at 2 AM in the middle of rural Maryland after a fresh snow & had no idea where the road ended & certain death began.

I have forgotten I was driving an automatic & hit the brake with both feet a few times, but I've never missed a pedal...

But at least I've never stubbed a toe. :D

[danceswithcats]

Not at home to check PA MVC, but here's a hypothetical as to why it's illegal: Last person to drive the car before you was wearing shoes. Shoes picked up a small sharp stone, piece of glass, fill in debris of your choice, and stuck same in grooves of brake pedal rubber. You take short hop to the corner store in your bare feets, and kid on skateboard/man chasing dog/naked Yeti darts into the street. Hard application of brakes ensues, except OWIE makes you want to LIFT your foot from pain, instead of missing kid/dog/Bigfoot. Shoes-even sandals preclude the above hypothetical. YMMV.

[OpalCat]

I remember once a hardened old cop came to my high school to give us a scare-them-straight traffic safety talk. He began by asking the whole auditorium, "how many of you know there's a law against driving barefoot in Indiana?" Dozens of hands went up. Then he said, "there is no law against driving barefoot in Indiana."

I love it when know-it-alls are put in their place! It reminded me of the scene in American Psycho where Bateman goes back to Paul Allen's apartment, sees a realtor showing it to some people, and she asks him, "Are you here about the ad in the Times?" and he says, "yes," and she says, "there was no ad in the Times."
At a Jethro Tull concert, Ian Anderson says "Who here HATES cats??" and a bunch of people cheer. "Well tough shit, the next song's about cats!" (Ian is a notorious cat lover)

Me, I will drive barefoot on long drives/road trips. The main reason I don't do it more often is that it makes my feet reaaaally dirty. I actually feel like I have more control, because I can feel more with my feet than with my shoes. I've never stubbed a toe or missed a pedal (??) driving barefoot. I think that missing a pedal would be far more likely in shoes since you can't feel it as well. If I drive barefoot, though, I put my shoes in the passenger's footwell because having shoes floating around by my feet seems dangerous.

[Mama Tiger]

I drive barefoot a lot, but I usually take shoes off the floor so they won't slide under the pedals. If it's cold, I'll bring a pair of slippers along to wear in the car since I hate wearing shoes when riding for any length of time in a car, period.

Actually, lately my greatest underfoot driving hazard has not been shoes, but has been the dogs' tennis balls -- when my husband takes them to the beach, he puts the balls in a tennis can with no top and slips it under the driver's seat. Apparently for him they stay put. For me, they roll out immediately -- at least now I'm aware of them and remove them before they roll out unexpectedly at the wrong moment! They about scared me to death the first time they rolled out and got under my feet.

[vivalostwages]

I do it only after I've had a pedicure and don't want to risk messing up the polish. I would not dare wear the thin flip flops they give you at the nail or spa place because they get caught on the pedals.

[helpmewithaquote]

In New Zealand it is, (or at least was when I sat the road code) illegal to drive in barefeet and also illegal to drive in jandals (flip flops to the 'merkins).

My understanding was always that unshod feets couldn't put as much pressure on the pedals as shod, as for the flip flops - just too much chance to get them tangled in the pedals.

[Nightsong]

I tried driving while barefoot once... and for me, never again unless there's an emergency of some sort. Perhaps it's just my pedals (metal), but I found it really hard to keep my feet on them properly: they kept wanting to slide around, and I found I actually had a harder time feeling what the pedals were doing because I was concentrating too much on making my foot stay put. It was worse for the left foot (operating the clutch): there are little nubs on the pedal, and there's a spot under my left toe where if I hit it just right it's like hitting a funny bone. I do not want to take the chance of hitting that spot just right while trying to shift.
___
<< Never, EVER, throw a fireball in a closed room! >>

[Hilarity N. Suze]

This was a widespread myth in the 70s. In the mid 70s, I think 1974, I wrote an article for an alternative newspaper where I checked almost every state for laws agains barefoot driving. And there were none. (I did not check Alaska because I figured nobody wants to go barefoot in Alaska. There may have been some other states I didn't check.)

There were at the time many instances of prohibiting bare feet in stores, in restaurants, and even on certain sidewalks or malls...but none prohibiting driving barefoot.

It was a lot of work making all those calls (no internet) (actually I did a lot of it in a law library) and for years after that I was the authority on the subject. Well, in my small group of friends, I was the authority.

[Auntbeast]

I bet that article was a riot! You know Hilarity In Shoes!

[brendon_small]

I do it a lot! well, it's not that I take my shoes off while driving, but I can not stand to wear shoes in the house, so if I'm at home and Mrs. Small needs picked up from work, I just wander out barefoot, hop in the car, and mosey over to get her. I often drive over in boxer shorts as well, and no shirt, since I don't have to get out of the car.

Long trips are a little different, as I wear shoes to most places (well, flip flops) but I take them off and lay them on the back seat if I feel uncomfortable wearing them. Sometimes it's better to be barefoot. In the winter, I often wear shoes, as my car has a slight problem heating up...

Brendon Small

[enigm4tic]

I always take off my sandals when I drive, I feel like the sandals slip around everywhere, whereas my foot, well, it only goes where I put it, and stays on the pedal just fine.

[Kyla]

It's been a few years since I drove regularly, but here's another vote for driving barefoot. Driving with sandals strikes me as somewhat dangerous, in fact.

[Hilarity N. Suze]

I bet that article was a riot! You know Hilarity In Shoes!

Heh...another coincidental confluence of username and topic!

[si_blakely]

For the barefoot drivers

the first time you get a rock through your windshield that fills the footwell with shards of safety glass, or have to get out of your car in a hurry on to a road that is covered in headlamp glass or spilled oil or just damn hot melting tar, you'll regret the decision.

It's like flying - I fly barefoot. But takeoff and landing, it's shoes on for everyone in my family. In an emergency ,the last thing you want to be worrying about is your feet and what you might tread on.

And don't even start on terrorist controlled buildings on Christmas Eve... ;)

And that is the actual reason for the NZ law on barefoot driving mentioned above.

Si

[Dead Cat]

Si makes a good point - I enjoy driving barefoot, particularly on long hot journeys, but when I was pulled over by the cops (in the rain) and had to step out of the car, it was kind of embarrassing! They were OK with it, though - they said the last person they stopped had been a lady wearing slippers (which, like sandals/fli-flops, are more dangerous than bare feet, IMO).

[Zsofia]

Seems to be men, particularly dads, who think you can't drive barefoot. One assumes that's because dads don't generally wear heels or other non-drive-friendly footwear.

[Winston Smith]

My name is Winston, and I'm a barefoot driver.

:: Hi! Winston! ::

I started driving barefoot the very summer I started driving, and I've never stopped. I've always been under the vague impression that it's against the "law", but I care not.

[Anaamika]

I drive barefoot...but I take off the shoes and put them on the floor of the passenger seat. Or in the backseat. My SO gives me the same line about it being illegal. Also when the cop pulls me over I have always had time to put on my shoes, get my license & registration out, roll down the window, and be ready for him. I mean, they putz around back there forever!

For short journeys I don't generally take my shoes off unless they are easy to fall off - for long journeys I always do, and though I live in Upstate NY I am in sandals 10 months out of the year so don't have an issue with socks. (Socks are vile.)

[Drunky Smurf]

I too am a barefoot driver. Also I wear flip-flops whenever I can, which is most of the time, except for commuting to/from work and I always flop them off before setting the truck in motion. I just like the feel of the truck I get from it and because of that I feel I am in more control of the vehicle even if I am not.

[Scarlett67]

Another barefoot driver -- but only in the summer, and only when I'm wearing my Birkenstock clogs (which is most of the time), so I can easily slip them on and off. No socks, either.

[Scubaqueen]

i have a coupla calls in to police buddies of mine.
see if anything's changed in the great state of indiana. :D

[Harmonious Discord]

Having socks on is bad, because they can be slippery. Barefoot I never have slipping problems.

[Scubaqueen]

i have been duly informed that it is NOT illegal to drive barefoot in indiana.

the other 49 states are on their own. :p

[cbawlmer]

It is legal to drive barefoot in Texas. Actually, it's legal to drive NAKED in Texas, as long as you don't attract attention to yourself. Going through a drive-through or trying to get someone to come over to your car would count as attracting attention. But if you want to drive down the highway naked, it's up to you!

[overlyverbose]

I never realized there were so many people who drove barefoot.

I guess I'm a prude (don't like my feet naked in the car, but they give it up at home). I've tried driving barefoot before, but every time I do, I feel like my feet are slipping around on the pedals, that I can't put as much pressure on them as when shod and that my feet are more likely to get tangled up with the pedals than when I'm wearing shoes.

[gigi]

Is this going to end up a "do you take your shoes off in the car?" thread?To be fair, the OP did ask. ;) I take off my shoes when I am driving long distance or in the heat, but I throw them to the passenger side so there's no way they can find their way behind the pedals.

[Einmon]

It's like flying - I fly barefoot. But takeoff and landing, it's shoes on for everyone in my family. In an emergency ,the last thing you want to be worrying about is your feet and what you might tread onActually, one of the first things the crew will be telling you in case of an airplane emergency is "SHOES OFF" so you can slide down the emergency slide without somersaulting onto the tarmac or damaging the slide...

As to the actual discussion: I've once had a flip-flop slide off my foot and get stuck under the brake pedal - very scary.

Since I've had the same question today myself I did some research: Over here in Germany, apparently, barefoot driving is not forbidden per se. Although it seems that you might be at fault if an accident happens because you are barefoot (e.g. if you can't push down on the brake pedal hard enough).

[WhyNot]

Actually, one of the first things the crew will be telling you in case of an airplane emergency is "SHOES OFF" so you can slide down the emergency slide without somersaulting onto the tarmac or damaging the slide...

I think "hijack" is the WRONG internet shorthand to use in that post! :eek:

[garygnu]

I don't like to drive barefoot. It hurts. All you weirdos can continue to drive barefoot if you like, though, it doesn't bother me.

[Gary "Wombat" Robson]

When I got a speeding ticket in California a couple of decades or so ago, I was given the opportunity to atone for my sin by attending a driver training class rather than getting points on my license. The instructor was a Highway Patrolman. He must have talked for 20 minutes about the people (usually women) who would struggle like mad to get their shoes on when they were pulled over--sometimes trying to pull over while putting on shoes so he wouldn't know they were driving barefoot. The punch line, of course, was that there's no law in California against driving barefoot.

I've never checked here in Montana.

[Harmonious Discord]

I never realized there were so many people who drove barefoot.

I guess I'm a prude (don't like my feet naked in the car, but they give it up at home). I've tried driving barefoot before, but every time I do, I feel like my feet are slipping around on the pedals, that I can't put as much pressure on them as when shod and that my feet are more likely to get tangled up with the pedals than when I'm wearing shoes.

Do you have long monkey toes or what? :eek:
How does being barefoot tangle up your feet with the pedals? :confused:

[overlyverbose]

Do you have long monkey toes or what? :eek:
How does being barefoot tangle up your feet with the pedals? :confused:

Nope, no monkey toes. Though my son has 'em - must have skipped a generation. I just feel like my shoes provide a wider, consistent platform while my toes are more spread out. It's more of a mental thing, really. I just feel like my feet are all over the place where my shoes stay in one place.

[Dewey Finn]

I found when driving barefoot that I could control the pedal better, by curling my toes over the top of it.

[phall0106]

Cars are deathtraps regardless of whether or not you're wearing shoes. For example (also read: Anecdote Time!)

I had my clutch go out ~50 miles from home as a kid. I've had a bottle of (water, soda, something) get trapped underneath my brake pedal. Scary! I've had my brakes stop working - pedal sink to the floor with no response. Another scary moment! I've had 3 out of 5 lug nuts on my front drivers-side tire shear off on a 500 mile trip (with my new wife & stepdaughter in the car). I've had a radiator hose bust & had to bandage it with duct tape (saving lives since 1942). I had my car die & refuse to start in the middle of I-95 in Boston during rush hour. I've had my transmission fall apart at ~75 MPH. I've had some belt or other snap & lost power steering. I've had my timing belt snap. I've had several alternators go & at least once had to replace it while standing in a foot of icy slushy snowy water during a snow storm. I've had all my lights die while driving at night. I've had a fuel line rupture - want to talk nausea? Breath gasoline while stuck in traffic in 100 degree weather with no AC! I've had my windshield wipers die during downpours in two different cars. I've been caught out at 2 AM in the middle of rural Maryland after a fresh snow & had no idea where the road ended & certain death began.

I have forgotten I was driving an automatic & hit the brake with both feet a few times, but I've never missed a pedal...

But at least I've never stubbed a toe. :D

Thank you, Earthworm Jim, but I won't be carpooling with you afterall.

[Broomstick]

It's like flying - I fly barefoot. But takeoff and landing, it's shoes on for everyone in my family. In an emergency ,the last thing you want to be worrying about is your feet and what you might tread on.
Hey! I fly barefoot, too!

Although I must say, it's quite different than in a car. Airplane rudder pedals are frequently much wider and longer than the gas/brake/clutch pedals in a car, and thus less likely to dig into a tender spot. Must add that in such circustances the shoes are secured so they don't crash about or interfere with anything, but also readily available in the event they are needed quickly.

Oh, wait - perhaps you were referring to flying as a commercial passenger and not a pilot....

It's all good!

:D

[Kricket]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who drives barefoot.
It is nice on long trips and right after standing at work in steel toed boots for 12 hours.
Yes, it would suck if there were an accident and glass everywhere.
But my sandles are close at hand, and unless it was a big accident I should be able to grab them easily enough.
I've never had my foot slip off the petal while barefoot. I have with high heels though.

[Nava]

In Spain it's illegal. You have to drive "wearing appropiate shoes (no flip-flops, mules, stilettos)."

So, since I learned to drive in Spain, I've never done it barefoot.