Putting the Brakes on Stilettos

Road safety charity Brake is appealing for high-heel lovers not to drive while wearing stilettos, steep wedges or platform shoes.

Brake's deputy chief executive Julie Townsend said: "It is deeply worrying that many drivers have such little regard for their own and others' safety that they wear unsuitable footwear. Driving is a responsibility that needs to be taken seriously."

Shaving behind the wheel?

A survery released by comparison website Confused.com showed 40% of females drove while wearing high heels. The survey also found that about 40% of women wore flip-flops while at the wheel and 24% drove barefoot.

Only 34% claimed they always wore sensible shoes.

Apparently men also take chances with footwear behind the wheel. The survery said 27% wore flip-flops and 22% went barefoot while overall, 57% of men claimed the drove in "sensible shoes".

Confused.com's head of car insurance, Gareth Kloet, said: "Wearing inappropriate footwear could cause the driver to lose control of the car. We'd recommend keeping a pair of suitable shoes in your car to prevent any crashes."

The survey found that 10% of women applied make-up at the wheel and 15% of men shaved while driving.

Townsend commented: "We all live hectic lives and people often feel cocooned in their vehicle but we need to bear in mind that a lapse of concentration at the wheel can lead to needless tragedy."

And to think everybody is worried about cellphones....