Have you considered looking at your shoes before driving? Perhaps you need to take a second look at them, and consider this: Good Shoes = Good Driving. Proper footwear is crucial for safe driving, so you might want to reconsider your high-heels, wedges, and slippers because these are the most dangerous shoes for safe driving.
Ford, through their Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) seminars, reach out to drivers and share with them ways to be safe and smart drivers.
“Dangerous situations while driving often requires split-second reactions and drivers wearing unsuitable footwear put themselves at a great disadvantage,” says Eugene Herbert, award-winning driving expert who heads Ford’s DFSL program.
He explains that ideal driving shoes should have a rather thin sole. This is important in providing the driver with the best pedal pressure when braking or accelerating. A thick sole will cause the driver to have difficulty feeling the pedals and gauging how much pressure to apply. A sole that is too wide on the other hand can result in pressing two pedals simultaneously. A sole should also have good grip in both normal and rainy conditions to prevent slipping.
Here are Ford’s top tips for selecting the right shoe for driving:
- Check for the type of sole: It should not be too thick or too thin (preferably between 4mm and 10mm);
- The sole should not be too soft or too flexible;
- Shoes should have enough grip on the pedal to avoid slipping;
- Shoes should be lightweight and enable easy movement;
- Shoes should not hinder ankle movement in working various pedals;
- Shoes should not be unnecessarily wide;
- Despite casual versions of popular professional driving shoes being available these might not be ideal as they can become very slippery when wet both while driving and while walking.
This year’s DSFL seminars will be held in dealerships across Metro Manila, including Ford Alabang, Ford Commonwealth, Ford Global City, Ford Libis, Makati Ford, Ford Manila and Ford Manila Bay. In addition, seminars will be conducted in key provincial dealerships, including Ford Batangas, Cavite and Ford Pampanga.
As part of its DSFL campaign this year, Ford is launching a special online component, called ‘I Pledge to Drive Safe’, which encourages both participants and anyone interested in the DSFL campaign to make a ‘pledge’ for road safety and share it with their family and friends on their social networks.
To join the ‘I Pledge to Drive Safe’ campaign, participants must “LIKE” the Ford Philippines Facebook fan page (https://www.facebook.com/FordPhilippines) and to take the ‘pledge’ found on the campaign tab.