Recently, there have been a few cases of drivers being issued summons for not wearing the proper footwear when driving. Multiple videos of policemen asking drivers what footwear they were wearing at roadblocks have been circulating all over the internet. 

In the above video, you can hear the policeman asking the driver if he was wearing shoes or slippers. When the driver said shoes, the policeman allowed him to pass. 

What does this mean? Can we not wear slippers when driving? 

Well, calm down everyone, let’s see if the law is on our side. 

While slippers are the most common footwear of choice for Malaysians not only when driving but also for any occasion, you have to admit that it isn’t really the safest choice. If I got RM 1 for every time I almost slipped and fell or actually fell while wearing slippers, I’d probably have a few thousand ringgits in my bank by now. 

If it isn’t safe for walking, how about driving? Well, statistics state that slippers are connected to around 1.4 million accidents annually! Driving with slippers is also considered more dangerous than driving with heels on.

So, is it illegal? 

There is actually no law stating that you cannot wear slippers specifically. However, according to Section 15(b) of the Road Traffic Rules 1959, drivers of commercial vehicles can get fined up to RM300 for wearing inappropriate attire. 

Commercial vehicles are vehicles that are used for carrying goods like lorries or for carrying fare-paying passengers like GrabCar. 

Although the law does not state anything about wearing slippers while driving a non-commercial car, after seeing the statistics, maybe skip the slippers la. Better to be safe than sorry kan?