Dubai: Motorists driving with high heels can be a traffic hazard, especially around schools, in Dubai, a Dubai Police official has said.
Brigadier Saeed Hamad Bin Sulaiman, Director of Al Rashidiya Police Station and Head of Schools Security Initiative, said observation of motorists around schools had pointed to mistakes committed by drivers because they were wearing high heels or they failed to estimate a safe distance between vehicles.
“The majority of traffic accidents around schools are due to individual mistakes on the part of drivers. Among the reasons are because they either wear high heels or fail to estimate a safe distance between vehicles,” he said.
Why heels are a bad idea while driving
There is space between the bottom of your foot and the pedal which make you hit the brake and miss or hit the fuel pedal.
Those who put on heels while driving have a tendency of only using the tip of their toes to press the pedals which might not provide adequate force particularly when braking in an emergency situation.
The thin heel pose the risk of the heel getting caught in the floor mat or stuck under the pedal making it difficult for a motorist to press the brake to avoid a collision.
What motorists say
Reem Ahmad, a 31-year-old Iraqi driver, said she always carry flat shoes in the car when she is behind the wheel.
“It is difficult for me to drive with high heels. Once, I was so close to hitting a car in front of me in a traffic jam when my heels got stuck in the mat. After that, I decided to keep a pair of flats in my car so I could put them on when I’m driving,” she said.
Aisha Sultan, 23, an Emirati student at Zayed University, said that she drive sometimes with high heels.
“I do at times drive with heels. It is not a good idea as I noticed that I don’t have a lot of control over the car. Sometimes when I’m in a hurry I don’t have time to take a spare shoes and I try to drive safely but I’m aware that my driving is affected. Sometimes I just take the shoe off and drive barefoot,” she said.
