Many people in Georgia and across the country as a whole are unclear whether or not it is illegal to drive barefoot. While some people might find it strange to drive barefoot, there are plenty of people out there who find it uncomfortable to wear shoes, especially behind the wheel. And sometimes kicking off the shoes that you are wearing might seem safer than trying to press pedals with certain types of footwear, like flip flops or high heels. We’re here to talk about the legality of driving barefoot in Georgia, so that all of you residents wondering have a better idea.
“The law that most people think exists about driving barefoot – it never has existed in Georgia.”
– Frank Waits, Vidalia Police Chief
As you can see from this testament by a local chief of police, there is no and never has been a law forbidding the act of driving barefoot in the state. So, if you don’t feel safe driving with your heels on, or you hopped in the car for an emergency completely forgetting your footwear, fear not. You’re completely within your rights to drive barefoot in Georgia, and most of the country. However, there are a number of other driving laws that you might not know about here in Georgia, so we thought we’d detail those as well.
Other Driving Laws in Georgia
While it’s legal to drive barefoot, it is illegal to drive with headphones covering both of your ears. While you can certainly have one earbud in to listen to your tunes if your car radio isn’t working, don’t put the other one in or risk breaking the law. And here’s a handful of other laws you should know:
- If you are going the speed limit or lower in the left lane of a Georgia highway, you can be ticketed thanks to the “Slowpoke Law”
- You must move over one lane for police cars, emergency vehicles, assistance vehicles and garbage trucks thanks to the “Move-Over Law”
- You cannot use the center lane to merge into traffic
- Passengers cannot have an open intoxicant in a moving vehicle either
- You cannot cover up any part of your tag, even by frames or covers
- You must turn on your headlights in the rain, not just your Daytime Running Lights
- Broken down traffic lights turn an intersection into a 4-way stop
- Texting is illegal behind the wheel, even if you’ve come to a stop
- Using a cell phone at all is illegal for drivers under the age of 18
Make sure you abide by these rules if you’re a resident of Georgia, or even if you’re just passing through.