Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
Here's an example of a woman being prosecuted for drinking from a bottle of water while her car was stopped at traffic lights:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/774655.stm
I'm unable to discover what the outcome of the court case was, but this goes to show that you can indeed be fined for drinking water in a stationary vehicle. |
Quote:
Originally Posted by pdurrant
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Just to add another late comment. It also mentions in the original report the following:
Mrs Smart's case came a month after Hampshire Police fined a motorist for eating a chocolate bar at the wheel. Kevin Storey, 33, was spotted munching a KitKat while driving on the M3 near Winchester.
He was issued with a £20 fixed penalty for not being in control of the vehicle. But police later gave Mr Storey, from Grantham, Lincolnshire, a break, admitting the fine was "inappropriate" and would be quashed.
So it's slightly a grey area. Obviously if you have or cause an accident while sipping a drink or eating something then you will be charged, but the same is true if that happens because you are changing stations on your car radio, or tapping your sat nav, it's all about being in control. Moving off from being parked while doing any of these things will mean you are not fully in control, whereas driving along on the motorway sipping a coffee doesn't mean you aren't in control - though you may take you eye of the road and drift into another lane while putting your cup down in the cup holder and then you're in trouble!
However, use of mobile phones is not a grey area at all. It's illegal to use a handheld mobile when driving and applies even if you’re stopped at traffic lights, you can only do so if you are safely parked (I think the engine needs to be stopped too?).
The use of mobile phones being made illegal, and as already mentioned the change in social attitude to drink driving has really made a difference here in the UK in the past decade.
Oh and just to keep the post slightly on topic, mostly in bed late at night.
