Is it illegal to drive barefoot in Australia?
Driving barefoot in Australia is a legal grey area. But put it this way – if you crash while driving barefoot, you’ll probably need a good explanation.
Australia is well known for its often overcasual attitude towards clothing. Walk around a beach town such as Lorne, Mooloolaba or Nambucca Heads, and you’ve got a fairly high chance of seeing a man walking around with his shirt off.
Go to somewhere with a more alternative culture bent, such as Denmark in Western Australia or Byron Bay in New South Wales, and you might see someone walking around a supermarket barefoot.
Elsewhere, thongs – the Australian name for flip-flops – are terrifyingly common. Some people routinely wear thongs with jeans and think nothing of it.
But Australia is also a pretty rules-based place, and it’s a common belief that there’s a legal line on clothing. Specifically, is it illegal to drive barefoot in Australia?
Driving barefoot in Australia
Many Australians believe it is illegal to drive barefoot in Australia. Or, rather, they’ve never checked, but they reckon it must be illegal to drive barefoot in Australia.
As it happens, there is no law in any state of Australia specifying what footwear you should have on while driving. Similarly, there is no law saying you can’t drive barefoot.
But it’s a little more complicated than that. The law does state that drivers must take all precautions to drive as safely as possible. And there is a strong case to be made that not putting shoes on is failing to take such precautions.
Is driving barefoot illegal?
Ultimately, driving barefoot falls into a legal grey area. Unlike drink-driving laws or speed limits in Australia, there is no clear position. If you crash while driving barefoot, not having shoes on will certainly become a factor. Did it have an effect on your driving ability? Was it unnecessarily reckless.
Even if there’s no legal fallout, the insurance companies might take a tougher line. And that could get very expensive.
So, if in any doubt about your ability to drive barefoot, put some shoes on before getting behind the wheel.
More Australia Travel Questions
Where is the nearest Sushi Hub?
What is a sausage sizzle in Australia?