# Barefoot Driving **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 11, 2003, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barefoot-driving/187675 "2003-07-11T08:11:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barefoot-driving/187675/41 "2003-07-13T17:06:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Walloon \* > \*\*Can you cite what Texas statute says this? \*\* Not offhand, but I’ll see if I can dig up my old drivers ed. manual. It is/was definitely in there (may be an old law that is no more?). I remember because I asked the instructor about it. I thought it was strange until he explained why. Be back soon…hopefully ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barefoot-driving/187675/42 "2003-07-13T20:09:52Z")
**Walloon** sorry no luck ☹ I guess it was an old law that’s been taken off the books. I haven’t actually checked my old manual 1977ed. I did find several cites supporting your initial post. Even found a guy claiming to have mailed letters to all 50 states asking this OP. Said he got returns on all but 8 states and each said it was legal to drive barefoot. Seems like I recall something about it being illegal in Kentucky for women to drive barefoot though. As far as my claim…well, I remember it from 25 years ago but until I find my old drivers handbook, it’s not verified. I did search the Texas statutes (damn there’s a lot of them). I found no reference **at all** regarding driver’s footwear. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barefoot-driving/187675/43 "2003-07-13T20:33:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by netscape 6 \* > \*\*well they are not going to tattoo ads to their feet,😃 > > i bet they were shoes for the same reason their pit crew does. it looks proffesional and that pavement gets pretty hot. > > maybe at the speed they drive the forces might be pretty hard on their feet. > oh and i don’t mind if **whiterabbit** borrows my gloves. \*\* For the record, in 13 odd years of watching Formula 1, I never once saw or heard of a driver who didn’t wear racing boots… 1), they’re fireproof 2) they provide minor protection for the feet and ankles, which are the first body parts to find out if you’ve run into something (see Johnny Herbert and the F3000 crash that nearly cost him his career) 3) they keep blood in the feet and ankles, where it generally doesn’t want to be when you’re pulling +2g accelerating 4) anodized steel pedals get REALLY hot 5) they provide a little extra weight and leverage which can make a big difference with that much ankle movement 6) they match your racing suit 7) if you needed to get out of the car in a hurry while sitting in a gravel runoff area I wouldn’t want to be barefoot either 8) F1 cars use clutchless sequential gearboxes- no clutch, so less need to worry about your feet getting caught between the pedals 9) With track temperatures routinely above 120 deg. F (50 deg C) you sweat buckets… now picture wet feet on slick metal pedals. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barefoot-driving/187675/44 "2003-07-13T20:46:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by netscape 6 \* > \*\*oh and i don’t mind if **whiterabbit** borrows my gloves. \*\* I appreciate the offer, but I don’t need 'em. 🙂 Though there are some days when the car’s been sitting in the sun…that lever gets DAMN hot! ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barefoot-driving/187675/45 "2003-07-13T23:43:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kambuckta \* > \*\*it’s illegal here in Victoria (and I suspect for the rest of Aus as well). \*\* I’ve never heard anything about its legality here in New South Wales. I _think_ it’s legal. It’s weird though. I don’t really like it much. I especially don’t like it when I’m driving a manual. For some reason, I find it difficult to apply the correct pressure on the clutch in bare feet. I’m sure I’d get used to it quickly though. ---
**Author:** ![Daoloth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/82dd89/32.png) [@Daoloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daoloth)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barefoot-driving/187675/46 "2003-07-14T02:53:19Z")
My father is under the persuasion that it is illegal in Texas, but it apparently is not. He attributes this to a story about a bus driver who, while driving barefoot, stepped on a shard of glass and doomed a whole bunch of children. I attribute this to a baseless urban legend. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barefoot-driving/187675/47 "2003-07-14T03:53:55Z")
It’s something you get used to. I sometimes drive my wife to work in barefeet because I like to have maximum bed/sleep time and don’t leave myself enough time to get up and put shoes on :). By the time I’m driving home, having dropped her off, I’m quite comfortable and all jerkiness has gone out of my driving. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barefoot-driving/187675/48 "2003-07-14T14:42:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Daoloth \* > \*\*My father is under the persuasion that it is illegal in Texas, but it apparently is not. He attributes this to a story about a bus driver who, while driving barefoot, stepped on a shard of glass and doomed a whole bunch of children. I attribute this to a baseless urban legend. \*\* Not necessarily, I remember in my recent quest for an answer to this OP, I accidently downloaded the Texas drivers handbook for **Commercial** license. IIRC there was some mention in the handbook pertaining to bus drivers and/or chauffer’s. I have up until now been focusing my attention on passenger vehicles and regular operating licenses. Still, until I or someone else can cite a statute…well, here we go again. :rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barefoot-driving/187675.md?page=2)