Women's car insurance and the importance of correct footwear when driving

Just as riding a bicycle in a long skirt or dress may cause material to become tangled in the spokes and cause an accident, drivers with women's car insurance should be aware that driving a car in high heels could also lead to a crash.

In 2008, a vehicle insurance company, which caters for women drivers, conducted a survey of 750 ladies and revealed that four out of every five women wore inappropriate footwear behind the wheel.

The study highlighted that millions of female motorists could be at risk of suffering a road traffic accident because they did not change into appropriate shoes before driving.

Ten percent of the ladies' car insurance holders surveyed at the time admitted that they'd had an accident or a near-miss on the highway because their footwear had slipped off their feet or become stuck underneath the vehicle peddles.

Even sling-back shoes or flip-flops reportedly "aren't the sensible choice", a spokesperson for the insurance firm stated.

Both of these types of footwear are not secured to the individual's foot well enough to stay on firmly during a drive of any length.

Furthermore, according to the Driving Standards Agency (DSA), women who think they are staying safe by driving barefoot are also putting themselves at risk, since they will not be able to apply the same braking force as they could do with shoes on. In Scotland, barefoot driving is considered dangerous enough to have been made illegal.

Good gym or walking shoes should be ideal for driving safely. Footwear should not be so wide that the person risks stepping on two peddles at once, and should not limit the ankle movement or be too heavy.

Moreover, the sole should have enough grip that the individual's foot does not slip from the peddle and should not be thicker than 10mm, but also not too thin or soft since this will hinder braking force in a similar way to driving barefoot.

Women's car insurance for the footwear conscious
Of course, all drivers, male or female, young or old, are advised to chose their footwear carefully in order to be able to drive as safely as possible and if you are careful to wear appropriate shoes when behind the wheel, however short your journey may be, then you could save money on your annual premium with us.

Phone one of our helpful team members about receiving women's car insurance on 0333 123 1308, or click on the get a quote button to see how much you could save with us now.