Women are being told never to wear a popular fashion piece behind the wheel over major safety fears. Kazimieras Urbonas, an expert at online car marketplace Ovoko, has stressed that road users should never wear high heels while in control of a vehicle.
High heels may be a favourite pick for a night out, but driving home at the end of the evening could become problematic and lead to fines. High heels have a much lower surface area and the heel changes how road users’ feet sit on the pedal. This is likely to lead to less grip, with motorists enjoying less precise control over acceleration and braking.
Urbonas, a supplier excellence manager, said: “Drivers tend to underestimate how much their choice of shoes affects their ability to control a vehicle safely. When you’re wearing heels, your foot is balanced on a narrow point. This makes it much easier for your foot to slip off the pedal, especially in an emergency situation when you need maximum control.
“The safest approach is to remove one heel, just the driving foot, before you start the engine. Keep it beside your seat and slip it back on when you reach your destination.
“Think about it like this. You wouldn’t try to pick up a heavy box using just your fingertips when you could use your whole hand. The same principle applies to pedal control.
“I’ve seen accident reports where drivers couldn’t brake effectively because their heel was stuck. It’s a completely avoidable situation that could have tragic consequences.”
According to Scrap Car Comparison, motorists wearing high heels could be issued penalties for careless driving. It means road users could be issued a £100 Fixed Penalty Notice in a costly blow for road users this autumn.
However, in some extreme cases, total bills could rise to £5,000 with nine penalty points issued to a driving licence. Meanwhile, they warn that car insurance firms could argue that footwear was not appropriate and decide not to cover individuals after a shunt.
Urbonas added: “Most drivers don’t realise that something as simple as footwear choice can be the difference between a safe journey and a serious collision. Even small changes in foot placement or removing one shoe can dramatically affect your control over the vehicle.
“The key is developing good habits before you need them. In an emergency, you won’t have time to think about foot positioning; it needs to be automatic.”