'Wearing heels behind the wheel is hazardous for health'

London, Oct 23 : Women are risking their lives by wearing stilettos behind the wheels, warn insurers.

Female-friendly car insurance firm Sheilas' Wheels found that four in five women drivers admit wearing inappropriate footwear while at the wheel.

And therefore, the company is urging women to change into flat footwear before getting into the driving seat.

It is estimated that more than 11.5 million British women are putting themselves and other drivers at risk by wearing the wrong footwear. Out of the 750 women surveyed, 75 admitted having an accident or a "near-miss" because their shoes had slipped off or got stuck between or under the pedals.

Nearly a quarter said they could not be bothered to change shoes before they got behind the wheel - even if they knew the ones they had on were not the safest for driving.

A third even admitted to wearing flip-flops while driving.

"It's astonishing so many women are putting themselves, passengers and other drivers at risk. Stilettos, slingbacks and flip-flops aren't the sensible choice," the Daily Express quoted Jacky Brown, Sheilas' spokeswoman, as saying.

The warning comes amid reports that some women are turning to Botox in a bid to repair feet damaged by wearing high heels. he trend for having Botox injected into damaged heels also poses risks, because it causes numbness.

Michael O'Neill, a consultant surgeon from the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, said: "Numbness would last for up to 24 hours. You shouldn't drive for at least three days after such a treatment due to loss of feeling in the foot."

"The rule is, 'You can't drive until you can hop five times on a foot', ensuring you can put the foot down on a pedal without hesitation, which is crucial if you need to make an emergency stop," he added.

ANI