It’s shaping up to be another hot Australian summer and a recent study by Ford Australia has discovered a surprising trend.
It seems 25% of learner drivers have admitted to wearing thongs while driving, with almost half of those on their provisional licence.
While it’s not illegal to drive while wearing thongs, safety experts suggest against wearing thongs and even slippery high heels while driving.
It’s considered better to drive barefoot so your feet can feel and grip the pedals.
The Ford Australia study, conducted by Galaxy Research, also compared drivers across Australia.
Queensland and NSW were the worst offenders for teenage drivers with 38% admitting to driving in thongs, while 34% in South Australian, 26% in Victoria and 24% in West Australia also confessed to flip flop driving.
It’s not just the teens either – 43% of parents confessed to setting a bad example by occasionally hopping behind the wheel in thongs.
We know it’s hot this time of year but we’d like to encourage everyone to either wear proper footwear, or stow your thongs under the seat when you go on your summer road trips this year.