Is Driving Barefoot Illegal in Arkansas?
It’s legal to drive barefoot in Arkansas, but you could be charged with reckless driving or face fines if it’s found to have contributed to an accident.
Written by Amber Reed
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
Barefoot driving in
Arkansas
is perfectly legal, despite the common belief that it’s not. However, driving barefoot can pose some safety risks—and if it’s found to have contributed to an accident, it could be considered reckless driving. Is it illegal to drive barefoot in Arkansas?
Nope! Driving barefoot is totally legal in Arkansas—and always has been.
Just about everyone has heard (or believed) that driving barefoot is illegal, but it’s a straight-up urban myth. We have someone named Jason Heimbaugh to thank for debunking this—back in the summer of 1994, he wrote to all 50 states (and Washington D.C.) to ask if barefoot driving was illegal in each location. Some states took longer to answer (Arkansas was one of them), but the answer was always the same: no, it is not illegal to drive barefoot.
The laws haven’t changed since Jason’s heroic research, so there you go. Yes, it’s legal to drive barefoot in Arkansas. But—if your barefoot driving is found to have contributed to a
car accident
, you could be charged with reckless driving
or face a civil fine.It’s been reported that Arkansas police officers can issue a ticket for barefoot driving at their discretion, so it’s probably best not to goad the cops.
Is it safe to drive barefoot?
So it’s not illegal, but is it safe to drive barefoot? Turns out, there’s a grain of truth to the idea that barefoot driving is not the best idea. In fact, most states officially recommend that a driver wear proper footwear.
Driving barefoot can pose some hazards because:
- A bare foot has less braking power than one with proper footwear
- Bare feet can have less traction and slip off the pedals, especially when wet
- Bare feet can be a distraction for some drivers (what if you stub your toe?)
- If you’re in an accident, your feet are at a much higher risk of injury
Just to add a little twist, there are a few situations where driving barefoot, though not ideal, might be the preferable option. Driving in shoes like flip-flops or heels often poses another set of problems regarding comfort and maneuverability.
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How to save money on car insurance in Arkansas
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