One in three road users get behind the wheel in flip flops and a study shows they are more dangerous than driving in high heels. Flip flops appear to cause 1.4 million road accidents every year. In apoll, 27% of drivers admitted driving in flip flops had caused a mishap, and 11% said the shoe had got stuck under pedals.

A device to make flip flops, which reduce braking times, more stable has been brought out by insurers Sheilas’ Wheels.The firm’s Jacky Brown said it was the “ultimate” summer car accessory. The design tucks into a car glovebox and securely customises any flip flop providing extra foot support around the heel while offering added stability on the pedals. The flip flop accessory can also be scrunched up to fit inside a handbag or pocket.

Just one in seven motorists have chosen not to drive due to concerns about their footwear with 36 per cent of safety-conscious women carrying a pair of driving shoes in the car – compared to just one in eight men. More than half of motorists called for further guidelines and advice on the impacts of driving in different footwear to be made available as a quarter  admit to choosing style over safety, picking out their footwear based on whether it goes with their outfit. One in 10 women revealed that they have even worn shoes behind the wheel that they have struggled to walk in.

The survey revealed the top five summer footwear styles which Brits struggle to drive in: 1. Flip flops 2. Bare feet 3. Wedge heels 4. Espadrilles 5. Sandals

Joseph O’Connor, from Sale, blamed a ‘poor choice’ of flip flops as footwear when he appeared in court last week to plead guilty to drink driving and driving without due care and attention. He said his foot slipped on the break – causing him to crash into a minibus full of pensioners in Sale. He was banned from the road for 14 months.

And a 50-year-old woman currently on trial at Bristol Crown Court charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent after hitting a pedestrian and reversing back over him blamed her flip flops for getting caught in the pedal. She denies additional dangerous driving offences.

source: Mirror

… és akkor nézzük meg, milyen lábbelikről is volt szó:

flip-flops

wedge heels

espadrilles

sandals

to blame – hibáztatni
footwear – lábbeli
mishap – baleset, szerencsétlenség
wheel – kormány
study – tanulmány
to appear – megjelenni, tűnni
road accident – közúti baleset
poll – felmérés
to admit – bevallani
to get stuck – beszorulni
device – eszköz
to reduce – csökkenteni
stable – stabil
insurer – biztosító
ultimate – legfőbb, legfontosabb, legjobb
accessory – kiegészítő
to tuck into – begyömöszölni
glovebox – kesztyűtartó
securely – biztonságosan
to customise – személyre szabni
to provide – lehetővé tenni
support – támaszték, tartás
stability – stabilitás
to be scrunched up – kicsire összegyűrve lenni
due to – valaminek köszönhetően
concern – aggodalom
safety-conscious – biztonságtudatos
compared to – valamivel összehasonlítva
further – további
guideline – útmutató
advice – tanács
impact – hatás, kihatás
available – megszerezhető. elérhető
to pick out – kiválasztani
to be based on – valamin alapulni
outfit – öltözet
to reveal – felfedni, elárulni
to struggle to – küzdeni valamivel
bare feet – mezítláb
court – bíróság
to plead guilty – bűnösnek találva lenni
care – odafigyelés, óvatosság
to slip on – megcsúszni valamin
to be banned from – eltiltva lenni valamitől
currently – jelenleg