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Third of drivers admit they eat at the wheel

According to a survey by Brake and Direct Line, just over a quarter of people (27%) have unwrapped and eaten the food and a third (33%) admit to eating food someone else has unwrapped for them.

This is despite one in 10 respondents saying they had been involved in a near-miss because they were distracted by eating food.

Research shows that drivers who eat and drink at the wheel are twice as likely to crash as well as running the risk a driving ban. Although it is not against to law to eat while driving, drivers can be prosecuted for driving without due care and attention or careless driving

Alice Bailey, communications and campaigns advisor for Brake, said: “Imagining a distracted driver you may think of someone on a mobile phone, but many things can dangerously draw our attention away from the roads around us. In the fast-paced world we live in it is sometimes tempting to eat on the go, but drivers who are distracted by something else, even food, significantly increase their risk of causing a devastating crash. If you’re hungry, you probably need to take a short break from driving to eat and recuperate before continuing your journey when you’re not distracted by hunger or eating.”  

 

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Written by Natalie Middleton

Natalie has worked as a fleet journalist for over 20 years, previously as assistant editor on the former Company Car magazine before joining Fleet World in 2006. Prior to this, she worked on a range of B2B titles, including Insurance Age and Insurance Day.

Natalie edits all the Fleet World websites and newsletters, and loves to hear about any latest industry news.

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