There are some common misconceptions about driving laws when it comes to footwear.

Some people believe you can’t drive barefoot, or you can’t drive with flip flops.

Is it legal to drive barefoot in Alberta?

It is perfectly legal to drive barefoot in Alberta.

There is no law forbidding barefoot driving in Alberta. In fact, it is not illegal to drive barefoot anywhere in Canada.

The Alberta Traffic Safety Act does not mention barefoot driving, or anything about footwear in general.

If you have ever driven barefoot or in socks only, you may have felt uncomfortable. Perhaps you have had issues driving in flip flops or sandals.

You can also have difficulties driving with bigger, thicker footwear, such as work boots or steel toes.

There is no law regulating footwear, or lack thereof, while driving. This doesn’t mean there can’t be consequences.

Any kind of distraction, or lack of driver comfort, can cause a hazard on the road, or lead to careless driving.

Bare feet and flip flops are not mention in the current laws, but careless driving is.

According to Section 115 of the Alberta Traffic Safety Act:

For the purposes of this section, a driver of a vehicle is driving carelessly if that driver drives the vehicle
(a) without due care and attention, or
(b) without reasonable consideration for persons using the highway.
(2) A person shall not do any of the following:
(b) drive a vehicle on a highway in a manner that constitutes driving carelessly

Source

In Summary

• It is legal to drive barefoot in Alberta.
• There is no law against driving barefoot in Alberta or anywhere in Canada.
• There are no laws in Canada that explicitly deal with footwear or the lack of footwear while driving a car.
• The Alberta Traffic Safety Act does have laws for careless driving. Bad footwear can cause careless or reckless driving.