One in seven people who drive for work (15%) eat a meal at least once a week while driving, new research has revealed. This is far higher than  other drivers, with only one in 25 admitting to eating at the wheel (4%)  once a week or more.  The survey also found at-work drivers were twice as likely to break the law  at least once a week by using a hand-held mobile while driving (one in ten  at-work drivers (11%) compared to one in 20 other drivers (5%).)  The results indicate that many at-work drivers are much more likely to risk  crazy multitasking than other drivers, and Brake the national road safety charity, which carried out the survey along with Green Flag is urging companies to ensure they instruct employees who drive for them to never eat or take calls while on the move.  

Eating while driving can cause a significant delay to reaction times, with research suggesting that a simple task such as eating a bag of crisps while driving slows down reaction times by 29%. In June 2007 a Dutch lorry driver was jailed for eight weeks and banned from driving for a year after being found eating a plate of spaghetti while driving erratically along a dual carriageway in North Wales. He admitted  dangerous driving. 

Recent figures show the message is getting through to drivers on the use of  hand-held mobile phones, with a 40% reduction in the number of car drivers  seen using hand-held mobiles at the wheel between September 2006 and August  2007.