Is it illegal to drive with gloves on?

No, it's not illegal to drive with gloves on - presumably because this shouldn't affect your ability to drive safely and responsibly.

In fact, a whole genre of gloves dedicated to being worn whilst driving exist purely to make driving easier.

It is probably around this point that everyone born after the '70s will wonder what the heck is going on, as driving gloves haven't really been seen commonly since the era of disco and bell-bottom pants.

But having a proper and secure grip on the steering wheel is vitally important to controlling a vehicle at speed in a secure way. And back in the day most cars had heavy steering and very thin steering wheels made of hard surfaces like timber or slippery clear plastic, and they are quite tricky to hang onto when turning or cornering at speed.

Watch videos of the Bathurst 500 from the 1960s and you can see drivers using leather gloves to hang onto their cars as they raced around the (very rough) Mount Panorama course. But it wasn't just racing drivers who used gloves; they were often needed to give a secure grip on the steering wheel for ordinary cars while driving, too.

It wasn't until the 1970s that power steering and suspension advances made cars easier to steer, and thicker steering wheels made from rubber or more well-textured materials became commonplace. This meant the need to wear gloves while driving dropped off dramatically.

Of course, they are still commonly worn in very cold climates like northern Europe and North America. But we are talking about traditional gloves, not mittens or snow gear, which would be terrible (and highly dangerous) to try and drive in.

Just for the record, it is not illegal to drive with gloves on in Australia. Make sure they're able to grip the wheel securely, otherwise the police could fine you for not being in full control of the vehicle, but you shouldn't have any problem with some nice leather driving gloves.

This article is not intended as legal advice. You should check with your local road authority to verify the information written here is suitable to your situation before driving in this manner.

​Are you a glove wearing driver? Tell us in the comments below.