Shoe is on the other foot when driving

High-heeled shoes or stilettos are to women what penile envy is to men; where the common truism is mine is bigger than your's. In the world of fashionable heels, it becomes mine are higher than your's.

But women have no business driving in skyscraper heels.

This is perhaps why in the battle of the sexes over driving, most would have good reason to point an accusing finger at the fairer sex.

From attempting to change a baby's nappy, to applying mascara and using their mobiles while driving, women seem to have repeatedly earned top spot in the worst driver category.

Not to suggest that our male counterparts are any better - men are notoriously renowned for more aggressive and precarious driving.

It has always been easiest to point out the dangers of women driving in high-heeled shoes, as women's stilettos seem to offer much more of a perilous driving experience than men's shoes.

High heels can get caught in the car mat, causing the driver to lose control.A website survey revealed that many a female motorist has admitted to a friend that they have had a car accident or a near-miss because of their shoes slipping off or getting stuck between, or under, the foot pedals.

In the UK, a massive 78% of female drivers wear inappropriate footwear when driving - choosing style over safety - while 39% confess to wearing flip-flops, and 19% claim that they have on occasion, driven barefoot.

Our mini survey also found that five out of 10 women drivers keep a pair of "driving shoes" in the car to change into, while three out of 10 admit they can't be bothered to change their shoes when behind the wheel.

Only two out of 10 women admitted to being confident behind the wheel in heels, but also to being more safety conscious than stylish and to having opted to change into flat shoes.

It is astonishing that many women wear the wrong shoes or no footwear at all.

Most high-heeled shoes do not provide enough grip for good pedal control.

In fact, the general rule of thumb is that the higher the heel the greater the chances of an uncomfortable driving position and reduced pedal control.

Therefore those uber-sexy Victoria Beckham type stilettos and stripper heels can only take centre stage when we are being chauffeur-driven or as part of our naughty bedroom attire.

Driving barefoot is also incredibly dangerous, as our feet are not designed to offer enough grip to control the pedals of the car.

Others believe that trainers or takkies are safe but are oblivious to the fact that their thick soles and chunky design limit movement.

It is believed by and large that flat shoes or ballet flats are suitable for driving but this is only true if the soles are rubber-based.

What is particularly disturbing is that numerous women use their old and hideous bedroom slippers as driving shoes. In fact, driving in them is not only a serious fashion violation, but is both tacky and dangerous.

Of course it would be remiss of me to concentrate only on women's shoes.

Mention must be made of men's shoes as well, especially the fashionably pointy-toed variety which also curl inwards at the tips.

These types of shoes are prone to getting caught under the pedals.

Other popular but repulsive men's shoes have metal toe caps, which could be a new age form of traditional weapon.

There is absolutely no pedal control in those heavy hitters, and should you be in receipt of an increased number of speeding fines lately, you might want to re-deploy them as door stoppers instead. When all is said and done, though, whatever type of footwear you choose to drive in, the truth is shoes do not maketh the driver.

Driving habits start with our attitudes, and we should all be mindful of driving decisions which can seriously impede our ability to drive safely, and which could have fatal consequences.