Thousands of women in the UK are increasing the likelihood that they will have to make motor insurance claims by wearing the wrong footwear at the wheel, a new report states.

The Safe Shoes report reveals that 66 per cent of women admit to having worn high heels while behind the wheel - while near to 33 per cent say that they regularly wear flip-flops when driving.

And 70 per cent of Welsh women admit that they wear the wrong type of show while in control of their car.

Dianne Ferreira, spokeswoman for road safety charity Brake, says that she is surprised that so many women are ready to compromise their own safety simply so that they can look fashionable.

"High heels, platforms and flip-flops can seriously hamper your ability to drive safely, and could have fatal consequences. It only takes a few seconds to change your shoes before each journey to help ensure you arrive safely," she claimed.