Flip flop wearers beware. In a recent study, the novel care- free sandals were shown to be responsible for over a million car crashes or near misses on the roadways. Apparently, this is a common occurrence every year.
In a survey, one out of every nine motorist confessed to experiencing their shoe lodged under the pedal. In addition, drivers donning flip flops were shown to have a braking time 0.13 seconds slower than other drivers. According to researchers, driving while wearing these shoes is more dangerous than high heels.
Are Some States More Prone than Others?
Since these shoes are one of the most popular summer footwear around the country, it stands to reason that some states may see more flip flop related accidents than others.
For example, Florida’s warm climate may entice residents to wear the shoes year round. With that said, with more flip flop wear, the likelihood of accidents increase. In this case, as with any accident, Floridians injured because of them would most likely consult the legal advice of a Tampa injury lawyer or other law firm knowledgeable about state laws.
The Flip Flops Made Them Do It
In what’s described as one of the most gruesome accidents ever seen in the quiet community of Voorheesville, New York, 55 year-old Luann Burgess lost control of her SUV after her flip flop became lodged in the gas pedal. Surging onto the sidewalk, she mowed down a walking group of three women, dragging two of them 70 to 80 feet before slamming into St. Matthew’s Roman Catholic Church.
More and more cases are surfacing where flip flops are blamed for tragic car crashes, both in the United States and from across the pond. Joseph O’Connor, a man from Greater Manchester, England was banned from the roadways for 14 months after he claimed his flip flops made his foot slip on the brake.
The mishap sent him crashing into a bus loaded with passengers. In addition, a 50-year-old woman was recently in court for striking and then backing over a pedestrian. In this case, she blamed her sandals for getting stuck in the petal.
Changes for Drivers
When studies are published, it is often unclear how much impact it will have on the general public. In this case, women were more open to making a change in their foot apparel compared to men.
Thirty six percent of women opted to carry driving shoes along with them on their trip compared to twelve percent of men. With that said, due to apprehension about their footwear, only one in every seven driver decided not to drive.
To Wear or Not to Wear
Though this may seem a little silly at first glance, it appears this study may have more merit than first thought. As flip flop wearers ponder whether to adjust their shoe choice for the sake of safety versus believing the myth that this study may not apply to them remains to be seen.
As always, regardless of the decision to wear or not to wear, safety behind the wheel is the most important thing.
Jamica Bell is a freelance writer and avid flip flop wearer. After researching this topic, she had become more cautious concerning her choice of driving shoe. Tampa injury lawyer Williams Law Association, P.A. has seen the gamut of accident causes and injuries. Regardless of whether the accident is related to a flip flop or distracted driver, they are dedicated to defending the legal rights of injured individuals.
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