And it could see you facing a fine of £100 and three points on your licence!
Drivers are being warned of the dangers of eating and drinking whilst behind the wheel, as doing so is a huge distraction and could increase your chances of an accident.
According to GEM Motoring Assist, eating or drinking whilst driving can double the chance of a crash and is more dangerous than people think.
Whilst it isn’t illegal in the UK to eat or drink whilst driving (unless it’s alcohol), you could still be prosecuted by the police if they feel that you are ‘driving without due care and attention.’
Revealed: Eating or drinking whilst behind the wheel can double your risk of an accident © Copyright Alexander P Kapp and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
You could be handed a fixed penalty notice of £100, as well as three points on your driving licence if you’re actions are thought to be distracting.
GEM Motoring Assists’ road safety officer Neil Worth, says that in the Highway Code it tells motorists to avoid distractions such as eating and drinking whilst driving.
Anything that takes a driver’s attention away from the roads can increase the risk of an accident and should be avoided if possible.
“Driving is a complex enough task already. So trying to do anything else at the same time just makes the journey riskier because we’re not fully focused on the driving task,” said Mr Worth.
If something does go wrong whilst a driver is behind the wheel and they have a hot drink in their hand or some kind of food, then their reaction times will be much slower as their attention is elsewhere, so when it’s time to react the food or drink also has to be dealt with too, making the situation much worse.
Mr Worth added: “Good, experienced drivers accept that eating and drinking at the wheel are dangerous, so they won’t allow these distractions to compromise safety.”
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