Sheilas' Wheels urges women to wear the right footwear
80 per cent of female drivers admit to wearing inappropriate footwear when in control of a car, opting for style over safety.
With the unveiling of new 8-inch stilettos and news that women are turning to Botox in an attempt to repair their damaged feet, Sheilas’ Wheels is urging female motorists to make sure they have appropriate footwear on before they ‘step’ into the driving seat.
It is estimated that more than 11.5 million[1] female drivers in the UK are already putting themselves and other drivers at risk by wearing the wrong footwear when behind the wheel. And with women now considering Botox in their feet - which relaxes muscles in the body and causes temporary numbness - this could further heighten the risk to road users.
Sheilas’ Wheels urges female drivers who decide to undergo such treatment not to drive until the side effects have worn-off - so that they can ‘feel’ the pedals and be able to brake suddenly without discomfort or fear of damaging the affected area.
Michael O’Neill, Consultant Podiatric Surgeon from the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, commented: "With this kind of extreme procedure, a number of dermal fillers would need to be injected into the foot to plump up the metatarsals. Numbness would last for up to 24 hours and we firmly suggest that 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."
Further to this, with high heels reaching skyscraper status, one in ten (10 per cent) female motorists admit that they have had a car accident or a ‘near-miss’ because of their shoes slipping off or getting stuck between, or under, the foot pedals whilst driving.
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About Sheilas’ Wheels comprehensive car insurance:
- Handbag cover - provides up to £300 of cover for handbags and its contents if stolen from the car
- Free courtesy car offered as standard - provided the car is being repaired by one of Sheilas’ Wheels recommended repairers.
- No claim discount (NCD) up to a maximum of 75 per cent - policyholders with 5 years or more NCD immediately get a 70 per cent discount and can then earn an extra 1 per cent discount per year for the next 5 claim-free years with Sheilas’ Wheels.
- Motoring legal protection - for an optional £21.99 policyholders receive up to £50,000 of cover for legal assistance to help them recover uninsured losses.
- Optional breakdown cover - 24-hour breakdown assistance service provided by Green Flag. Policyholders can also take out optional breakdown cover. There are several levels of cover from basic roadside assistance to a full service providing roadside assistance, home rescue and recovery.
Terms and conditions apply to Sheilas’ Wheels car insurance
For further information please contact the Sheilas’ Wheels press office at Mischief PR on 020 7100 9999 or email sheilaswheels@mischiefpr.com
Visit the official fansite for Sheilas’ Wheels: www.ilovesheilas.com
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Notes to Editors:
Sheilas’ Wheels commissioned YouGov to speak to 754 female drivers during May 2007: ‘Safe Shoes’ Report.
[1] Source: Office of National Statistics, National Travel Survey 2004 (14.4 million women with driving licenses in UK). Therefore, 80 per cent of those that wear incorrect footwear for driving = 11,520,000 women (as revealed by the YouGov report).
About Sheilas’ Wheels:
Sheilas’ Wheels was launched in October 2005 to offer women drivers cheaper car insurance and product enhancements including £300 handbag cover - for bags stolen from the car (comprehensive cover only), competitive breakdown recovery rates, a dedicated counselling line run by trained professionals to help customers cope with driving issues such as road rage (comprehensive cover only) and a network of female-friendly repairers. In February 2008, the brand moved beyond car insurance to also offer home insurance.
Sponsorship:
Sheilas' Wheels sponsors the ITV National Weather: "Whether skies are grey or blue, Sheilas’ Wheels could cover you."
Society of Chiropodists & Podiatrists:
The Society of Chiropodists & Podiatrists is the leading professional body for HPC registered chiropodists and podiatrists in the UK. The society aims to raise awareness and acknowledge the contribution podiatry plays in helping to reduce complications associated with long term chronic medical conditions such as diabetes and vascular problems; conditions which have a high impact on patients' quality of life. Podiatry services help minimise the cost burden to the NHS and social services.
For further details visit www.feetforlife.org
