A new survey has revealed that more than half of British drivers take a snack break behind the wheel.

The idea has long been one in question, with fears raised that – similar to talking on a mobile phone – using your hands for anything less than driving could imply a lack of concentration on the road ahead, although as yet no form of legislation has been enacted to minimise the consumption of food or drink by drivers.

The new study, released today by Co-operative Insurance, discovered that 53 per cent of UK motorists admitted to consuming soft drinks or eating while driving. An additional 12 per cent said that they smoked while at the wheel, while others still said that they were guilty of finishing their make-up or even getting dressed while in control of their vehicle.

The survey, which canvassed 3,000 drivers of their in-car habits, also found that 11 per cent of those polled said that they made preparations for forthcoming meetings while driving to their appointment, while 7 per cent admitted to illegally using mobile phones while driving. Speeding was a common offence for nearly half of drivers who found themselves running late, with 46 per cent claiming they were likely to break speed limits under such circumstances, with 43 per cent saying that being in a bad mood was also a factor that led to them exceeding the speed limit. Driving on the motorway was also seen as an opportunity to speed up unnecessarily, with speeding also blamed on tiredness when travelling and the need for toilet breaks.