# Why do peoples shoes fly off in car accidents? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 26, 2000, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-peoples-shoes-fly-off-in-car-accidents/42708 "2000-11-26T01:48:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Badbug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Badbug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badbug)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-peoples-shoes-fly-off-in-car-accidents/42708/1 "2000-11-26T01:48:45Z")
A friend asked me this years ago and my completely unfounded hypothesis was that it was due rather to a whiplash effect. A person, held in by a seatbelt and suddenly having their forward momentum impeded or halted by an impact would sustain a great deal of force. I thought this force would be dissipated along the length of the body and terminate at the feet rather like a whip cracking thus the shoes fly off. Am I even close? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-peoples-shoes-fly-off-in-car-accidents/42708/2 "2000-11-26T02:02:37Z")
[Hutchison effect](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=47929) that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peace)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-peoples-shoes-fly-off-in-car-accidents/42708/3 "2000-11-26T02:08:35Z")
The loser they are, the better they fly. No-heel sleepers are best, high boot do not fly at all… ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-peoples-shoes-fly-off-in-car-accidents/42708/4 "2000-11-26T02:40:14Z")
Well, I once saw an accident scene that was right off the parking lot where I worked. Two guys were crossing an intersection with a green light when a drunk driver plowed into them. Their shoes where still in the crosswalk while their bodies were about 150’ down the road. They had been knocked out of their shoes and carried/thrown by the pickup truck that hit them. Maybe not what you’re talking about with victims in a car but freaky shit just the same–especially since if I hadn’t stopped to chat with some people on my way out after work, I would have been riding my bike down that road at that same time. This guy was so shit faced he was bouncing off the telephone poles as he flew down the road. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-peoples-shoes-fly-off-in-car-accidents/42708/5 "2000-11-26T02:40:51Z")
We had a pedestrian hit by a car recently, and her shoes were left standing where she was hit. Knocked her right out of 'em. I have no idea why, I just wanted to share that. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-peoples-shoes-fly-off-in-car-accidents/42708/6 "2000-11-26T02:52:44Z")
Inertia… Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-peoples-shoes-fly-off-in-car-accidents/42708/7 "2000-11-26T03:08:32Z")
Well, as to the people inside of the car… Probably because one of them was going for, or had finished the big nungamunch just before the car impacted.