In research by Sainsbury's Bank eating or drinking behind the wheel was the top offence, with 41 per cent of Britons saying they had done this.

Driving while tired was second at 34 per cent, and driving in flip-flops or barefoot came in with 20 per cent of drivers admitting that they had done this. While it is illegal to use a non-hands-free mobile phone while driving, 14 per cent of motorists said that they had done, with 8 per cent pleading guilty to texting on the road. The findings also revealed that men are more likely to engage in such behaviour than women, with 10.7 million male drivers admitting to dangerous habits as opposed to only 8.5 million female motorists.