Everyone does it in the summer: driving like this considerably increases the risk of accidents and drivers can be fined. However, the law does not prohibit this practice.
Driving often changes depending on the temperature: we drive more slowly in the rain, we adjust our speed in the event of black ice or snow… But in the summer, some drivers tend to take it easy. Driving in light and comfortable clothing, especially when going to the beach, is essential in hot weather. But a practice that everyone does (or has already done) is generally confusing. And for good reason: the law does not formally prohibit this type of driving, which considerably increases the risk of accidents. Only article R412-6 of the Highway Code stipulates that “every driver must constantly be in a condition and position to conveniently and without delay carry out all the maneuvers incumbent upon him.”
So, can you or can you not drive with flip-flops, sandals or open shoes in the summer, when it’s hot? No text indicates the model of shoes to choose, but it is better to choose closed shoes, which support the foot and which do not risk causing a road accident. This is the bad experience that Aurélie, mother of two children, had when she was on the road to Spain with her husband, who was driving in flip-flops. “We almost died! His flip-flop got stuck between the pedal and the mat and he couldn’t brake anymore,” she confides in us. Since then, the young woman has been very careful never to drive with this type of shoe.
And even if French law is not clear on the wearing of shoes by drivers, they can be fined a fixed fine of 35 euros (without deduction of points). In Spain, on the other hand, the law prohibits this practice and the fine is 200 euros. In the event of a check, it is therefore the police who will consider that you represent a danger on the road by driving like this, even if you tell them that you live five minutes away, that you are used to driving like this and that you are leaving the beach. It is therefore recommended to always have a spare pair of (closed) shoes inside the vehicle for driving.
Please also note that in the event of a fender bender or accident, your insurance company may consider you to be at fault simply because you were driving in flip-flops or sandals, which did not leave you in control of your vehicle. In the event of a dispute, wearing open shoes may therefore also work against you and you may not be covered.