Car Accidents > Car Safety Guides > Eating and drinking whilst driving
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Eating and drinking whilst driving

Eating and drinking while driving a vehicle can easily lead to a road accident. Research carried out by experts at Brunel University in London in 2006 revealed that those who eat and/or drink behind the wheel increase their chances of having an accident by as much as 50%.

The researchers found eating and drinking while driving to have the same impact on drivers’ concentration and general awareness as talking on a hand-held mobile phone, and therefore increasing their chances of causing or being involved in an accident.

A member of the Brunel University research team said: "The results of our experiment strongly indicate that eating or drinking while driving increases the risk of a crash.”

"Drivers may not perceive the risk to be any higher than other menial in-car tasks, but the impaired reactions combined with the increased workload suggest drivers should exert caution."