Guardia Civil clarifies once and for all whether driving in flip-flops is permitted or banned in Spain

Can you drive in Spain wearing flip-flops? It is one of the questions of the summer that generates a lot of confusion among drivers.

The only law that partially answers this question is Article 17 of the general traffic regulations, which states that "drivers must at all times be in a position to control their vehicles". However, it does not specify what footwear complies with it.

The Guardia Civil has taken to TikTok to explain their stance on the question. As they state, there is no law against driving with flip-flops, but if an officer considers that this type of footwear affects safety in a particular situation, the driver can be fined up to 200 euros.

"The summer dilemma: can I wear flip-flops while driving? Yes, you can, unless the use of these shoes interferes with driving and could cause an accident . In that case it would be punishable," said the Guardia Civil officers in the video, which has received more than 100,000 likes.

Many people have expressed their confusion and frustration with the lack of clarity in the comment section. Some say that, if it is recommended to avoid wearing flip-flops because of the risks involved, then why isn't the regulation modified to reflect that. Another person said that it would be easier to "change regulations and indicate the types of footwear that are allowed".

The Guardia Civil state that the forces role is to ensure road safety, which implies certain autonomy in making decisions, although the regulations may fall short. This feeling of arbitrariness has generated social frustration.

Of course, some people defend the Guardia Civil's stance and warn about the dangers of driving with flip-flops, providing personal stories as examples. One person explained how once "a flip-flop got stuck between the pedals, which turned out to be dangerous". Others point out that the real problem in some areas is the poor state of the roads, which can be the cause of incidents, rather than the type of footwear.

Spain's national Directorate-General for (DGT) confirms that there is no regulation that explicitly bans wearing flip-flops when driving. However, it does recommend wearing footwear that supports the whole foot and that is light and flexible so that the driver can step on the pedals with precision and safety.

The logic applied to flip-flops also concerns crocs and sandals. Crocs are somewhat more closed than sandals, but they are still not completely fixed to the foot, unless a strap is used.