You know the feeling - it's hot outside - and sometimes even hotter inside your car - so you make that trip to the park in your flip flops, or even barefoot to save the chore of repeatedly changing your shoes.

And as Londoners have enjoyed temperatures hotter than Ibiza and Portugal recently it will be even more tempting to slide on those Summer shoes.

While many of us take to the car to do the school run or go to work, two questions come to mind in the warmer months.

'Can I drive in flip flops?' and 'Can I drive barefoot?' often make people wonder what the law says in regards to this small, but very important factor which can affect your driving, Kent Live has reported.

RAC rules do state that you are allowed to get behind the wheel, barefoot or in flip flops, as long as you can operate the controls safely.

But the executive body that regulates driving tests in the UK, the Driving Standards Agency, has stated that: "Suitable shoes are particularly important behind the wheel.

"We would not recommend driving barefoot because you don't have the same braking force with bare feet as you do with shoes on."

Have you driven without shoes on?

    Your shoes should:

    • Have a sole no thicker than 10mm
    • The sole should not be too thin or soft
    • Provide enough grip to stop your foot slipping off the pedals
    • Not be too heavy
    • Not limit ankle movement
    • Be narrow enough to avoid accidentally depressing two pedals at once

    An RAC spokesman said: "While light, flimsy and impractical footwear can be dangerous, so can sturdy, robust shoes, such as walking or snow boots.

    "It's important to have a good base and grip to apply pressure to the pedals, but you need a certain degree of finesse to manipulate the controls. If not, you could strike the brake and accelerator together, producing a heart-in-mouth incident."