Comments on Barefoot and Grounded .com: Driving Barefoot May Noticeably Improve Gas Mileag...

I find it easier to drive barefoot. When I do driv...

2012-02-21T10:34:11.460-06:00

I find it easier to drive barefoot. When I do drive I let my right big toe hang off the accelerator and push down with just that toe and it doesn't use a lot of pressure which in turn doesn't use a lot of gas. The first time I drove wearing shoes I had to keep easing off the accelerator because I couldn't feel how much pressure was on the pedal.

@ Matt: Professional race drivers wear driving sh...

2011-11-04T04:30:02.850-05:00

@ Matt:

Professional race drivers wear driving shoes for safety reasons relating to accident protection and fire-retardation.

You'll find the majority of professional driving shoes have extremely soft soles which allow you to feel the pedals through your feet.

Professional race drivers also wear fire-retardant overalls, gloves and a helmet. Gloves do increase grip, but a steering wheel needs to be gripped in a way that a pedal doesn't.

There have been MANY times my wet shod feet have s...

2011-08-17T07:27:48.102-05:00

There have been MANY times my wet shod feet have slipped off the pedals. The bottom of my "safe" shoes get slicker than owl crap when they're wet. Not once have I ever had my bare feet slip off a pedal.

Matt, wet bare feet, like your hands and face, typ...

2011-07-01T17:03:46.973-05:00

Matt, wet bare feet, like your hands and face, typically dry very quickly as soon as you get out of the rain. So even if you got into the car soaking wet, your feet won't remain wet for long!

Also you would *know* you'd stepped in a puddle, even if it were a very small one, and you can simply dry your foot if you are concerned about it being slippery. While with a smooth-soled shoe you could easily miss some small puddle or other spill right next to your car until you drive off and slip off.

Kriss, Professional race drivers all wear driving...

2011-07-01T16:38:56.386-05:00

Kriss,
Professional race drivers all wear driving shoes, and they are the most competent drivers of anyone. There is a reason for wearing shoes in a car, and it's the increased traction on the pedals. A wet foot could spell disaster, this in my opinion, is not any safer...

If driving barefoot does save gas, that's anot...

2011-04-25T18:16:38.295-05:00

If driving barefoot does save gas, that's another big plus, and what you're saying makes a lot of sense. But to me, the most important reason to ditch the footwear when driving is for safety reasons.

How could driving barefoot be anything but much safer than having some cumbersome footwear on your feet? Wearing shoes on your feet when driving makes about as much sense as wearing mittens on your hands when driving.

A barefoot person has much greater control over the car pedals because he or she can feel them better. Shoes or other footwear not only cut off that essential tactile sensation, they can slip off pedals or get hung up between pedals, potentially causing an accident.

And speaking of testing, if it were somehow possible to test, using scientific methods, the ability to control the foot pedals of a motor vehicle using one group of barefoot people against another group of shod people, I firmly believe there would be a significant difference seen. I believe the barefoot group would have greater control, and thereby able to operate a vehicle safer than the shod group.

If there ever were any laws related to footwear and driving (which, as you pointed out, there aren't), it makes a lot more sense to make driving *with* footwear illegal. Driving with bare feet is the safest way to drive, and I would never compromise my safety or risk my life or the lives of anyone riding with me by driving any other way.