If you find yourself giving in to hunger and having a snack while driving, be warned: it’s more dangerous than you may think.
Eating and drinking behind the wheel dramatically delays reaction times, a study has found.
Taking a sip of a drink, smoking, or even touching a satnav could be as dangerous as talking on a cellphone.
Reaction times lengthened by 44 percent while eating and 22 percent while drinking, compared to driving with both hands.
Drivers were also 18 percent more likely to swerve into a neighbouring lane while drinking. Scientists estimate that two million drivers in the UK have had an accident or near-miss because they were driving with one hand.
SIMULATOR ASSESSMENT
The study by the University of Leeds assessed nine drivers in a simulator while they were eating, drinking, using a phone and driving with one or two hands.
Unwrapping food or tipping a bottle up to take a drink caused the greatest delay in reaction times, because these tasks took drivers’ eyes off the road.
Participants made the most corrections to their steering when talking on a phone.
The study also surveyed 1005 drivers - almost half of whom admitted they drove with one hand on a regular basis.
One in five saw nothing wrong with it. - Daily Mail