Your licence for a sandwich

Paying up to £500 for a sandwich might seem a little steep, but that is exactly what it could cost if caught eating whilst driving.

Research undertaken by the A & A Group, one of the UK’s leading non standard intermediaries has revealed that police forces across the UK are clamping down on drivers who eat, drink, read maps or anything else for that matter, whilst driving and with one in three road users not realising that it is illegal to eat and drive; many thousands of people could potentially fall foul of the law!

Not only could the simple act of grabbing a quick bite to eat on the run land you with a fine, but also unnecessary points on your licence and a subsequent rise in the cost of your insurance.

Steve McPherson, Sales & Marketing Director, Hyperformance commented: "Whilst on the face of it, drivers who fall foul of such laws may not be a major hazard on the road, the fact is that they are breaking the law.

"As a non standard broker, we do our utmost to ensure that someone who has received points for eating a sandwich, for example is not put in the same category as someone who has committed a more serious offence, but the fact is that as points build, insurance premiums increase."

He continued: "Whilst it might seem trivial to penalise people for eating or drinking whilst driving, in reality it is no different than using a mobile phone. It is a distraction which can result in the driver taking his or her eye off the ball the result of which could be an accident or worse.

"It would be ludicrous for a driver to lose his or her licence through eating a sandwich, but as more and more drivers (latest figures reveal that it is up to 40%) have points on their licence, it is a scenario that is becoming more and more likely.

"We specialise in providing cheaper premiums for convicted drivers and as such are able to listen to the individual circumstances of convictions, however, we would strongly advise drivers to think twice before they do anything which could potentially put their licence and more importantly their safety and that of others, in jeopardy."