Two-thirds of drivers admit to potential dangerous driving activity

Nearly two-thirds of UK drivers interviewed in a survey admitted taking part in an activity behind the wheel which could have been considered dangerous driving if reported to the police.

The research by Sainsbury's Car Insurance revealed that 64% of motorists said they could have committed a motoring offence in the month of July because they were not concentrating either by doing something else as well as driving or feeling tired, which was admitted to by 28% of respondents.

A total of 38% told researchers they had been eating and/or drinking while on the road and, perhaps as a reflection of the warmer weather this year, 18% said they had driven in flip-flop sandals or without shoes, compared with 14% in this category in a comparable survey in 2009.

There was excessive speeding by 16% of those questioned while 8% said they had driven without a seat belt.

The 11% who used a hand-held mobile phone plus the 6% who sent a text message could well have been facing a prosecution for a driving offence if they had been spotted. A drink-driving charge may have been the outcome for the 11% who drove after drinking the night before and 6% who said they had been drink-driving in the month of the survey.

Reading a map while in charge of a car and succumbing to road rage were some of the other instances of dangerous driving which were also highlighted by the survey.

Ben Tyte of Sainsbury's car insurance department said drivers often became complacent and then drove in a manner which had the potential to harm themselves or other road-users.

"Simple actions like eating or drinking behind the wheel or driving with flip flops on can significantly increase the risk of you having an accident so we would urge motorists to focus on their driving and not be tempted to engage in anything that may distract them."