Is it illegal to drive barefoot in Virginia? Here’s What Law Says!

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Is it illegal to drive barefoot in Virginia? Here's What Law Says!

In Virginia, it is legal to drive barefoot or while wearing flip-flops. There are no laws restricting the type of footwear you can wear while driving.However, the Virginia DMV discourages driving barefoot or in flip-flops, recommending “safe footwear”. They suggest that footwear could be the difference between safety and a serious accident with injuries.

Safety Concerns:

  • Nearly 1.4 million car crashes occurred when a driver was wearing sandals that became caught under accelerator or brake pedals or under a floor mat.
  • Approximately one-third of all drivers admit to driving while wearing flip-flops.
  • Roughly 10% of these drivers admit that their flip-flops have become stuck under a clutch, gas, or brake pedal at least once.
  • The reaction time of a driver wearing safe footwear under normal conditions is within 0.02 seconds. The reaction of a person wearing flip-flops is nearly twice as long.
  • If a police officer believes your footwear (or lack of footwear) is making your driving unsafe, particularly if being barefoot contributed to causing an accident, the officer can write you a ticket for reckless driving or distracted driving.

Footwear to AvoidThe Virginia DMV considers the following capable of creating very dangerous driving conditions:

  • Shoes with thin soles.
  • Shoes with thick soles.
  • Shoes with minimal surface area.
  • Shoes that limit ankle movement.
  • Shoes with weak builds.
  • Shoes with no grip on the soles or slippery soles.
  • Sandals with several straps.
  • Platform shoes.
  • Stiletto heels.
  • Knee-high boots.
  • Ankle-high boots.
  • Running shoes that have thick soles.
  • Tennis shoes made with thick soles.
  • Shoes with non-gripping material used for soles (example: bowling shoes).

The DMV and other agencies suggest that the best shoes to wear when driving are flat shoes or sneakers.

SOURCES
[1] https://altizerlaw.com/wearing-flip-flops-while-driving-in-virginia/
[2] https://colonialdrivingschool.com/blog/is-driving-barefoot-illegal-in-va
[3] https://www.virginiasinjurylawyers.com/faqs/is-it-illegal-to-drive-in-flip-flops-in-virginia/
[4] https://burnettwilliams.com/urban-myths-about-driving-laws/

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