London - A UK woman has been fined £100 (R1 917) for peeling a banana as she drove to work.
Elsa Harris, 45, was pulled over by police who spotted her eating on the road she says was gridlocked.
But the carer claims she had already peeled the banana at home before setting off, and was only removing a small piece of skin.
She said she only momentarily took her hands from the wheel while the car was stationary.
Miss Harris said: ‘I’m a single mum. This is the most expensive banana I’ve ever had in my life.
‘An unmarked blue car started flashing at me, drove in front, then slammed its brakes on.
‘When the officer got out he was really angry from the offset, but I was still completely unaware I’d done anything wrong.
‘The officer said I was driving without my hands on the wheel and I was a danger to other drivers, but I said that was rubbish.’ As well as the fine, Miss Harris was told she would have to take three penalty points or complete a driver-awareness course after the incident in Christchurch, Dorset.
She added: ‘I couldn’t believe it, you get drink-drivers, people texting and eating while they speed along. Surely, me eating a banana in a traffic jam is not important.’
A Dorset Police spokesman said the force was committed to ‘reducing the number of casualties on Dorset’s roads’.
Though not a specific offence, eating while driving would fall under driving without due care and attention or not being in proper control of a vehicle. The Highway Code states that drivers should avoid distractions such as eating, drinking, smoking, map-reading and arguing with their passengers.
Earlier this month, a driver was caught on camera eating a bowl of cereal as she drove her Land Rover in Hampton Court, west London. The footage was handed to Surrey police, who are investigating.
In 2007 salesman Keith Pemberton was the first driver to receive points for eating a sandwich at the wheel. He was also fined £60 after police stopped him for driving without due care.
In 2006, a part-time model was caught putting on make-up while driving at 32mph. Donna Maddock, from Mold in north Wales, was pictured with both hands off the steering wheel. She was fined £200 plus £55 costs after she pleaded guilty to a charge of careless driving and was given six points on her licence.
And in 2005, a nursery nurse who was stopped because she was holding an apple while driving was fined £60 and ordered to pay £100 costs.
Daily Mail