Mr Technicality - top lawyer Richard Freeman - points out the common offences we might all be guilty of now and then

Thousands of motorists could be driving around blissfully unaware they are jeopardising their licence by unsuspectingly committing road traffic offences. Perhaps the most outrageous I have encountered was the driver on a motorway reading a newspaper, oblivious to the police patrol car cruising alongside. Clearly, most motorists would know this is a big no no. However, there are several offences which might not be so obvious.

Here are some of the more common examples ...

1. Eating an apple.
Many people in a rush will grab a piece of fruit on their way out the door. What they shouldn’t be doing is trying to eat it while driving. The law states that if you have an item in your hand while driving which could compromise the ability to control the car, it is an offence which attracts three penalty points and a fine. The same applies to drivers who smoke a cigarette, hold a pen, drink from a can, or use a dictating machine.

2. Applying make up.
It’s common to see a driver applying lipstick, eyeshadow or other forms of cosmetics while behind the wheel. This is illegal, even if you are sitting at traffic lights or in a stationary traffic queue.

3. Holding a mobile phone.
Just holding (as opposed to using) a mobile phone or Sat Nav System is an offence. Because the vast majority of drivers don’t realise this, they can get in to trouble that might have otherwise been avoidable. Here’s a typical scenario: Driver gets stopped by police and is charged with using a mobile phone. Driver protests that phone was only being held and was not in use. Police now change their charge to holding a mobile phone while driving. The driver has admitted to committing one crime as a defence to committing another. Had they said nothing I would probably have managed to get the original charge dropped. However, If the police had charged the driver with holding a phone rather than using it, the chances are he or she would receive points on their licence.

Click HERE if you wish to view the Article on the GlasgowLive.co.uk website.