McLaren supercar crash sparks debate on footwear and driving - here’s what the law says

There is nothing like a viral supercar crash to get South Africans riled up, and that is exactly what happened this weekend when a McLaren 570S supercar was wrecked on a quiet suburban street in the Sea Point area of Cape Town.

Video footage showed the white supercar speeding down the road and then suddenly braking before hitting a pavement and losing control. The accident happened at approximately 6:30am on Saturday morning, according to witnesses.

The driver, who has been identified by numerous sources as a Nigerian rapper, was seen sitting in the street following the crash. He appeared shaken but not seriously injured and was taken to a nearby hospital together with his passenger. 

While many netizens accused him of reckless driving, in a social media post the McLaren driver claimed he was trying to avoid running over a homeless man.

There was also much speculation on social media about the shoes he was wearing and what role his footwear could have played.

In an Instagram post just hours before the crash, the driver is seen dancing in white shoes with oversized soles and many speculated that these could have played a role in the crash.

“I see the problem now. It’s those shoes. He couldn’t find the brake pedal,” ghiemba said on Instagram.

In photos taken after the incident, the driver is wearing the same outfit as the night before but there are no shoes on his feet. However, there is a regular sized white shoe near the wreckage, although it’s not clear whether this belongs to the driver or passenger.

Regardless of whether he was wearing these shoes at the time of the crash, the crash has sparked numerous debates on what is considered safe and legal when driving.

South African law does not stipulate anything about the footwear required while driving, meaning it’s not illegal to drive barefoot, or with flip flops or high heels. 

However, safety focused organisations such as Arrive Alive and the Automobile Association (AA) warn that inappropriate footwear can be extremely dangerous.

“The choice of footwear for safe driving must allow the foot to feel the pressure needed by the pedals to achieve the desired braking or acceleration. Our footwear should never obstruct the feeling required by the feet to operate the pedals properly. It should allow us to judge accurately how much pressure we needs to apply to the clutch, accelerator and brake pedals,” Arrive Alive said.

The Automobile Association adds that driving in heels could cause a crash because achieving the correct pedal position and action requires the heel of your foot to rest on the floor.

“If you’re driving in heels, then your heel is elevated, and you won’t be able to judge how much pressure to apply to the pedals. Not only that, but your heel could also get caught in the floor mat, or, even worse, become stuck under the pedal,” the AA added.