Interesting thread. Like Bromptonaut I have driven withour footware for the same reason. I suppose the main criteria is being in full control of the vehicle. You can easily walk without footware so why not drive. If the police stopped you they would have to prove that you were not in full control. If they stopped you for another reason they obviously were not aware of your lack of footware so it shouldn't be an issue. It may also depend if the car is an automatic or manual. One is patently easier to operate than the other. I await the test case with bated breath!

When I worked in Africa and the Middle East we had drivers who would drive barefoot, with sandals or work boots. They were not the wolrlds best drivers but that had nothing to do with their footware!!!!

Liked the joke BTW. Very HJ in terms of a by-line for the thread.

Cheers Concrete

From RAC "

There’s a great level of uncertainty surrounding whether or not it’s illegal to drive barefoot in the UK, with numerous reasons cited as to why you’re breaking the law if you do so.

While these may all be valid points, none of them are technically correct. Here is the law in a nutshell: it is not illegal to drive in the UK without shoes on and the same applies for wearing flip flops - there is a catch though.

it is not illegal to drive in the UK without shoes on

You can get behind the wheel of a vehicle barefoot or while wearing flip flops, provided you are able to operate the controls safely. If you do so with wet feet, for example, you might be putting yourself, your passengers and other road users at risk by not being able to drive the car safely. This is illegal.

And while it's not illegal to drive without shoes on, that doesn’t mean it’s right.

According to the Driving Standards Agency – the body that regulates the UK driving test – “suitable shoes are particularly important behind the wheel. We would not recommend driving barefoot because you don’t have the same braking force with bare feet as you do with shoes on.” end of rac post

My opinon

Just be aware that if you do anything at all that causes you to lose control of the vehicle for even a second and the police are near enough to see it then that is driving without due care and attention, but if they wanted to do you for being barefoot the onus is on them to prove it was affecting your driving, if it does not there is nothing they can do.

Ps I have also done it just to test how diff it is, as part of the ongoing education of myself through experience.

Edited by 30 yr's a Professional Driver on 28/07/2018 at 11:59