Car Insurance News from Be Wiser

Accidents 'could be risked by eating at wheel'

Those who snack behind the wheel have been warned by new research that their actions risk accidents.

Green Flag and road safety group Brake conducted a study which found that reaction times are slowed by 29 per cent when a driver eats a bag of crisps.

The groups also found that eating on the road once a week is an activity carried out by 15 per cent of people.

Such behaviour could see motorists invalidate a car insurance policy should they become involved in a crash and cover firms decide that they are too risky to cover with a cheap deal.

"No-one would dream of snacking on a sarnie or picking up the phone while using a chainsaw or doing any other safety-critical job - and we mustn't when driving," said Cathy Keeler from Brake.

In the latest edition of the Highway Code, drivers are warned not to smoke behind the wheel in case they are considered to be behaving erratically and are pulled over by police.

Read more news about: