Can you drive with a walking boot on right foot

Unfortunately, there’s no one answer. There are some clear no-nos, of course: if your right foot is in a cast or brace, you absolutely should not drive. Once your cast has been removed, however, don’t assume that you’ll be able to drive immediately. After weeks of immobilization, strength in your foot and/or ankle will be diminished; you’ll therefore want to wait until your walking has returned to normal before even attempting to drive.

What if it’s not your driving foot that’s been casted? Here, again, the answer is a bit murky: you may be able to operate a car safely, but then again, you might not be. The only safe way to test out your readiness in this type of instance is to practice driving in an empty parking lot: if the cast does not seem to be affecting your ability to brake or apply the gas pedal, and if you aren’t experiencing distracting discomfort, it is likely that you will be safe behind the wheel but, of course, there are no guarantees.

Whenever you are driving with a painful injury like a broken foot or ankle, even if you are doing so after your cast has been removed, you must also be aware of your mental acuity. Even if your injury doesn’t directly affect your ability to drive, if you’re not sleeping well because of your pain level, it may not be safe for you to get behind the wheel regardless of your physical ability to do so.

When you’ve broken a bone in your foot or ankle, you’ll obviously be concerned about your mobility, but you must always put safety before concerns about being inconvenienced. Only you can decide when you’re really ready to drive after an injury like this, but as your Houston podiatrist, I hope you’ll involve me in the conversation so we can keep you safe during and after your recovery period. 

There are few things that can feel as inconvenient as a broken foot or injured ankle.  Not only does it usually mean paying medical bills, but it can really make it tough to get to work and run errands. Driving is something we take for granted when our bodies are in great shape, but is it safe and legal to operate a vehicle when you’ve got a foot in a cast? Read here to find out more.  

Is It Safe to Operate a Vehicle With a Foot Cast?

Of course it’s common knowledge that we are legally not able to drive when taking any sort of heavy painkillers or narcotic drugs, as our decision-making and reflexes are often impaired. However, many people are concerned with needing a “chauffeur” for the duration of their healing after a foot injury. There are some important things to consider when you’re thinking of getting behind the wheel with a cast on your foot:

• Casts often slow your ability to brake enough to make it unsafe (the reaction time being up to 25% slower in testing) 
• Driving with your left foot might seem a better alternative, but can be extremely dangerous and distracting.  

Despite the obvious safety hazards, there are currently no laws prohibiting driving with a cast on either of your feet. It is not encouraged by doctors, who say that you might prevent your bones from healing correctly, or even end up in an accident due to impaired reaction time. At this point in time there are no laws keeping you from getting behind the wheel with a cast on, so it’s up to you to decide!

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