Beware the Flip-Flop Effect

As temperatures soar and the UK basks in the sunshine, many of us may well be dusting off the flip-flops and giving them an outing.

With road usage now far less restricted, more of the population is returning to their vehicles, as lockdown eases, resulting in a higher possibility that people may well be driving in their summer footwear.

This, however, comes with a need for caution as it may have an impact on your insurance coverage should you be involved in an accident.

When that happens, and you need your provider to cover the cost of repairs to your vehicle and, depending on the circumstances of the accident, the cost of the third party’s, this is where difficulty may arise.

A driver can be culpable in an accident if he or she fails to exercise proper control over their vehicle and this contributes to an accident. There is no specific ruling about footwear in the Highway Code, but as that is what comes into contact with the pedals, it is a vital component of your driving practice.

Statistics highlighted by the RAC in 2019 found that 40% of women take to the road in high heels, 39% wear flip-flops, while 24% suggested they wore nothing on their feet. In men, 22% admitted to wearing no footwear, while 27% admitted to using flip-flops.

This can be a problem as it is important to wear footwear that:

• Doesn’t restrict foot movement, particularly around the ankle
• Isn’t too big whereby you could press two pedals at the same time
• Provide enough grip

If you have had an accident that wasn’t your fault, contact Winns today to start your claim.

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