Val
This story sounds a bit stupid,if you ask me,I dont think the police officer was right to pull her over because she was eating an apple!c'mon how stupid does that sound,but I cant be sure until I see the evidence that she was actually a danger to other drivers on the road!

dean
well if she IS stupid enough to take it to court then she should have to pay the full cost! no doubt she would have been happy enough to take the police to court if it was found to have been in the right, whop knows why the police acted as they did it may have been that they would have given a verbal warning but it wasn`t taken.

matthew
i think it is stupid haven't they got better things to do like: catch burglar

Eric Hill
Her lawyer must be proud of the profit he made on this case. She now has £160 and lawyers fees to pay when owning up and paying £30 at the time would have saved the taxpayer £10k!

Phil
I think the police should concentrate on more important matters. Effective policing depends, in part, on good relations with the average member of the public. This sort of case is hardly going to improve things.

Mark - London
The point is not that she was holding an apple - it was that she was not in proper control of the vehicle according to the police. This could be tuning the radio, drinking from a can, putting on make-up or whatever. If the police believed she was not in proper control they were right to pull her over - no where in the reporting of this case has anyone answered the question - was she in proper control?
For instance was the car straying across the centre of the road - in which case she is a danger to other motorists and should be pulled over. Why don't the BBC publish the ariel photographs that were used in the trial and the officers statements so people can judge with the full facts of the case?

rnich120 - London
On hearing this, i am shocked and i makes me sad to be a police officer. The officers on the street should have used some common sense and i am sure that a verbal warning would have been the end to the matter. To hear that the case went to court 10 times is a waste of tax payers money. It could have been used to putting more officers on the streets......this case was not in the public interest and it gives the police a bad name...we are here to protect the normal public, not stick them on for rubbish offences.

James
More fool her for appealing against the fine. Everyone knows your ability to control your car is impaired if you're holding something. It's a petty thing to be fined for, but appealing was just asking for trouble.

John A Hill
As long as it is not illegal for somebody to smoke a cigarette while driving a vehicle, how can they reasonably convict somebody for eating an apple while driving? I would far rather have to drop an apple in an emergency than a burning cigarette.

Dve Pashby
Too right. You should always be in full control. If your holding this ( or even a cigarette ) then your not. As a motorcyclist I've so often nearly been wiped out by drivers who are not concentrating on driving. Well done the police and the magistrates.

zac
Nice to see that the police have the time and money to catch illegal apple-eaters but seem unable to prevent a 6% increase in violent crime!!!!!

r jones
this lady deserved to be prosecuted, would she have expected to pass her driving test whilst holding an apple? as for the cost of this case, this just goes to prove how much solicitors are willing to make from the system in order to fight a non winning case which could have been dealt with if this girl had taken her medicine and paid the £30 fine!

Campbell
So everytime I take a hand off the wheel to scratch my nose, change gear, switch on window demistor or adjust heating I am being a careless driver?

Alexandra
This just shows how far out of touch the police and magistrates have become. Lets face it - how many people after passing drive with both hands on the wheel all the time? very few. Even turning a corner can be accomplished safely with one hand with modern power assistance. Get with the real world Northumbria and other forces, we want real criminals caught not innocent people like Ms. McCaffery

Chris Hopley
I'd love to see the police officer who pulled Ms Caffery over look her in the eye and say 'I have never eaten at the wheel'. Everyone does it! It probably contributes to road safety, because you need energy to concentrate properly! Perhaps the copper needed to meet his 'collar targets' by the end of the month.

Richard Holmes
It sounds stupid.... unless the woman killed someone because she was unable to control the vehicle correctly. The Highway code says both hands must be on the steering wheel, and you would fail your driving test if you attempted to eat an apple, smoke a fag, talking on a mobile phone, whatever. Ok so pedantics out there will say that you have to take your hand off to change gear.... to that i say grow up.
Why do motorists feel they are above the law? That driving above the speed limit or without proper care is acceptable, and then moan the police should tackle real criminals. If you drive like this you are a criminal, you are in control (and sometimes not in control) of a fast moving, dangerous metal box, often filled with enough combustible material to make a nice large explosion. end of rant

Phil, Glasgow.
If you can get convicted for this, will smokers be next? Surely you're not in full control of your car while smoking - especially if you drop it - I know, I have!

Mark
I have young kids in the back seat, what if I talk to them will they send a helicopter to check up in order to prosecute. Why don't car manufacturers simply create a solid steel case around the driver so we can't interact at all?

David Edney
I suppose it's the same as cellphones - some people can drive well with one hand and others can't. Best to stop everyone than to allow those who are deluded about their driving skills to continue and squash someone.

Sean
She broke the law - why is this news worthy?

Stephen Wray
The Government had better ban Drive Thru Resturants, they encourage people to eat whilst driving!