Fined for eating sandwich behind the wheel

Fleet News said the man from Salford was driving on the A49 in Cheshire when he was stopped by police officers primarily looking to reprimand drivers using a hand-held mobile phone behind the wheel.

Fleet and fuel management company Arval told Fleet News that the case highlighted how a recent extension of the Road Safety Act meant that eating behind the wheel was viewed by police with the same severity as using a mobile phone.

Arval's head of market analysis Mike Waters said: "Publicity surrounding the extension of the Road Safety Act has so far concentrated on penalties for mobile phone users with the potential of fines for other infringements of the act overlooked.

"It is still unclear how police in each region will enforce the new legislation but the determining factor of punishment across the board is the inability of drivers to maintain control of their vehicle while undertaking these activities."

He added that the only way to prevent drivers receiving multiple penalties was for firms and fleet managers to encourage an overall ban on eating, drinking and reading while behind the wheel.