One of the leading myths among local drivers, as well as tourists, is whether or not it is illegal to drive barefoot in Australia. If you are coming back from the Gold Coast or just not wanting to have shoes on for the long interstate drive, the urge to kick off the shoes is very understandable. Legally, however, no Australian state or territory, including New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT, and the Northern Territory have any laws in place which mean drivers are not able to drive barefoot. If you wish, go ahead and feel the pedals without shoes, and you will not get pulled over just for driving barefoot. It is important to know, however, that while it is not against the law to drive barefoot, it is certainly against the law to drive dangerously or irresponsibly.
Australian Road Rule 297
Although there is no specific law against driving without shoes in Australia, there is a general road safety rule that every driver must obey. This is Australian Road Rule 297, which states that a driver must always maintain proper control of their vehicle. This is a general rule that police use for road safety. If a police officer sees that you do not have shoes on or that you have a pair of shoes that are in the way of your feet, you can be charged. If you go to the beach and your feet are wet, and you do not control the car, you can be charged with negligent driving. This is a concern for police and is not about the choice of footwear, but the way the person drives.
Driving Barefoot and Road Safety
When considering how safe driving barefoot might be some people think that driving barefoot is more dangerous that having an open shoe on your foot like thongs (flip flops). Safety experts say that is not true. When driving thong shoes you could actually be more dangerous while driving because thongs tend to get stuck to the pedals which then results in very dangerous driving and possibly crashing. Driving barefoot also could be beneficial to some people because the driver can feel the exact foot pressure that is placed on each of the driving pedals. As far hands of driving barefoot obvious factors like foot fatigue can be very uncomfortable and there is the risk of seriously injuring yourself on the vehicle’s pedals. This risk will be even greater in the HIGH Australian Summer (which is 40*c) season…. ooh hot. Also, you won’t have any shoes to protect your feet if you have to get out quickly to evade an emergency situation.
Driving and License Restrictions
There is always variation and differences from state to state and these can be very minor and sometimes even unnoticeable. As an example, in (SA) South Australia there are stricter state boundaries concerning driving when you are learning how to drive. This can relate to when you have a Mer (L) learner, Provisional (P) permit. Some driving instructors are even more strict in these training testing environments and some will not even allow the participant to drive unless they are wearing close toed shoes which is ridiculous. However, in Queensland where they have also have easy-going driving laws, the same happens in larger vehicle terrains such as in driving therapy using large trucks where they actually have to wear shoes that protect their feet from injury (which is really dumb since they have large vehicles which can injure people). Once you arrive to your assigned location, typically the employer’s insurance policy and/or the company’s safety handbook will require that you wear closed-toed shoes. This is really a dumb policy since you will have driving experience and will not even have shoes to walk on, overriding the general freedom of moving on the roads.
| State/Territory | Is it Legal? | Primary Regulation | Potential Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Yes | Road Rule 297 | Pedal Slippage |
| Victoria | Yes | Road Rule 297 | Lack of Foot Protection |
| Queensland | Yes | Road Rule 297 | WHS for Heavy Vehicles |
| Western Australia | Yes | Road Rule 297 | Heat on Pedals |
| South Australia | Yes | Road Rule 297 | L/P Plate Restrictions |
| Tasmania | Yes | Road Rule 297 | Emergency Egress |
Insurance Implications and Final Verdict
Most drivers are concerned that going barefoot in their car will void their car insurance. While it is reasonable for drivers to be concerned, most insurances do not have a specific rule saying that driving barefoot is a reason for an insurance claim to be denied. Absolutely. Insurance companies will look to see if reasonable care was exercised in the driving of the vehicle. If the claims assessor, the person in charge of investigating and making a determination on an insurance claim, notices that a sweaty foot caused the accident because it slipped off the brake, that will certainly not be in your favor, and the insurer will determine that you were not driving the car with reasonable care, and your claim will quite possibly be denied. So the most reasonable thing you can do is have a pair of sturdy, flat-soled shoes in the car.If you decide to drive barefoot, you must first make sure that your feet are dry, your shoes are not obstructing your pedals, and your control of the vehicle is absolute.
FAQs
Q1 Is driving with bare feetillegal in Australia?
While it is not illegal per se, driving in thongs is highly recommended not to do. Pedals are easily obstructive and controlling the car can lead to safety issues and fines.
Q2 Is it illegal to drive barefoot?
There is no law that dictates driving with shoes, however, should your barefoot driving lead you to crash, you may be fined for “failing to have proper control of a vehicle.”\
Q3 Can you be insured if you drive barefoot?
You can drive insured, but should you barefoot be involved in an accident and it was found that not having shoes was the cause, you can be found negligent and the company will most likely not pay for the accident.
