EATING and drinking while driving should be treated in the same way as using a mobile phone.

This is according to a survey by business information and advice specialist Croner found that three out of four employers think that the recent legislation banning the use of handheld phones does not go far enough and should be expanded to cover other potentially distracting activities like eating and drinking. An overwhelming 74 per cent of health and safety professionals said that they thought eating and drinking and even smoking should be banned. Croner recommends that companies should put road safety policies in place and says that failure to provide such guidelines to their employees who drive could set them up for problems in the future. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act employers are responsible for the safety of on-the-road employees. Acceptable, and unacceptable, driving conduct should be stated in a company driver handbook and all employees who are expected to drive as part of their job should be issued with one. Katherine Hunter, health and safety expert at Croner said: "Employers seem to have been quick to enforce the new mobile phone laws. "Other activities like eating, drinking and smoking might not be illegal but they might cause a driver to drive without 'due care and attention' and are therefore potentially dangerous. "While employees can't be sacked for simply snacking at the wheel, they could be disciplined for not driving safely but employers who fail to inform employees of this could be liable for any resulting damage, injury and costs."