First came the news that motorists could land themselves a £5,000 fine if caught driving with their dog, and now they could find themselves liable for an equally damaging penalty if they’re caught driving in flip flops.

The RAC has compiled a list of footwear that should be avoided and top of the list is flip-flops, closely followed by high heels, walking boots, sandals and finally bare feet.

Whilst wearing this kind of footwear isn’t technically against the law, it could breach Rule 97 of the Highway Code.

Rule 97 stipulates that drivers should have footwear and clothing that ‘does not prevent using the controls in the correct manner’.

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So if an accident or a driving incident takes place as a result of the driver wearing inappropriate footwear, then the traffic police could class this as driving without due care and attention which could subsequently lead to a court appearance and a hefty fine.

If you’re involved in an accident and subsequently get out of the car wearing flip flips, you could end up with a £100 on-the-spot fine and three penalty points on your licence. If, however, the matter is taken to court, the maximum penalty rises to a hefty £5,000 fine, nine penalty points on the licence and a possible driving disqualification.

“Flip flops can slide off your feet and get under the pedals or if they’re wet, they can affect your ability to break,” said Selim Cavanagh from the insurance firm ingenie.

“In other words, they could be dangerous and put other road users at risk.”

More robust footwear such as walking boots pose the danger of striking the brake and the accelerator at the same time.

RAC guidelines recommend driving with soles no thicker than 10mm, ensuring that the soles are not too thin or soft, ensuring that they have enough grip to stop your foot from slipping off the pedals, aren’t too heavy, don’t limit ankle movement and are narrow enough to avoid accidentally depressing two pedals at the same time.