Driving with flip-flops on, or arm out of the window

DRIVING with flip-flops on your feet, or with your arm out of the car window

Now that Summer is upon us, we normally wear fewer items of clothing, and want to do exactly the same whilst driving in our vehicles, which can of course cause a problem if you happen to get stopped in a police control, or simply if passing patrol car spots you doing something they don’t like.

A lot of us like to wear sandals or flip-flops when going out, but there seems to be a grey area in the discussion as to whether you are allowed to drive whilst wearing them, and even the Guardia Civil explained on its social networks that it is not specifically forbidden to drive with flip flops, but, they continue by adding that a driver can be fined for not being able to maintain freedom of movement to control the pedals well.

One could argue that it is probably something we won’t find out until the time we got stopped, and it probably depends on which officer stops you, although personally, I fail to understand how anybody can actually drive while wearing flip-flops anyway, and I do agree that they are dangerous to wear for driving, and basically, if it is something that could possibly lead to a fine, then why take the risk?

Therefore, and given that driving with flip-flops makes mobility difficult and can hinder the driving of a vehicle, the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) warns us that we could receive a fine of €200, and three points off the license.

If you want to read the General Traffic Regulations, here they are.

The same goes for driving without wearing a shirt, which again, in Summer is very tempting to do, but, according to several articles of the General Traffic Regulations, the clothing worn behind the wheel must allow full control of the vehicle, facilitate mobility, and not reduce visibility.

According to article 18.1 of the General Traffic Regulations, the driver is obliged to guarantee his own safety, so, the use of a t-shirt behind the wheel is mandatory, to prevent the driver from being injured as a result of the seat belt or the airbag, although the Guardia Civil does not stop people for driving in this way, they could fine you €80 if they consider that the offence is motivated, again, not really worth the risk.

Regarding driving with your arm out of the window, article 18.1 stipulates that both the driver and the rest of the passengers must maintain the proper position during the journey, so this means that driving with your arm or elbow outside the window is not allowed, and anybody caught doing it can face a penalty of €80, but will not be deducted points from the licence.

___________________________________________________________

Thank you for reading, and don’t forget to check The Euro Weekly News for all your up-to-date local and international news stories.