Liz Dobson: Hands-free means phone, not steering

A driver using his cell phone while on the St James Street Southern motorway on ramp in Auckland. Photo / Jason Dorday

The question asked around the Driven office this week has been: what's the stupidest thing you've seen a driver do?

The use of cellphones was the most common answer. Our resident motorcyclist lost count during his daily commute of the people illegally talking on their phones while driving on Auckland's Southern Motorway.

Then there are the people who take it further: driver eating a pie while talking on cellphone; driver drinking a coffee while talking on cellphone; smoking while talking on cellphone.

Women applying makeup and men shaving while driving were common sights, especially in morning rush-hour traffic.

Even American actress Sharon Stone admitted in Vanity Fair magazine that she would apply makeup while driving around in her Jeep Wrangler - and used her knees to steer the SUV.

But the top "stupid driver" tales involved books.

A colleague saw a driver on Auckland's Northern Motorway reading a book.
And no, it wasn't rush-hour traffic. And no, it wasn't a map book.

Another colleague recalled how a police officer friend had pulled over a driver reading The Da Vinci Code while navigating Auckland's North-Western Motorway.

He gave the driver a ticket - and then went out and bought the book as he reckoned it must have been a page turner for the driver to keep reading it while on the road.

Another colleague was eating a mince pie while driving.

He dropped the hot content on his lap, causing him to drive off the road and roll the work car.

That was one expensive pie.

What's the stupidest thing you've seen a driver do? Head to Facebook.com/DrivenNZ and tell us.