McDonald's fans are being warned they risk a £1,000 fine and six points on their driving licence, or lose it completely when visiting drive thrus during lockdown.
Yesterday marked the end of the chain's weekly reopening announcements, with all UK drive-thrus now back open.
The chain was quick to remind customers due to social distancing limited staff would be working resulting in a reduced menu and longer than usual wait times - however to help, McDonald's advised customers to download their app once they're near and pre-order their food.
However, this is were things start to get complicated.
As well as ordering via the app - which you can do before you leave home - you need to know a unique code when you arrive at the drive-thru.
If you grab your phone for this while the engine is on - you will be breaking the law, even if you are on private land, reports The Mirror.
According to The RAC's guide to mobile phone laws it states: "If your engine is running, your phone should be nowhere near your hands. This is still the case if the engine stops automatically to save fuel (called 'start-stop technology)"
Following up from this advice, RAC spokesperson Rod Dennis told Mirror Money: “Every driver should always ensure they are parked and have their engine switched off before using a handheld phone.
"Anything else could land them in trouble, even if they are in a car park, drive-thru or petrol forecourt.”
The penalty for being caught using a handheld device while driving is six penalty points and a £200 fine.
That means you'll automatically lose your licence if you passed your driving test in the last 2 years.
If the police think yours is a particularly extreme case you can also be taken to court where you can be banned from driving and receive a maximum fine of £1,000 - rising to £2,500 if you’re driving a lorry or bus.
The easy way to avoid this is to make sure you don't order or pay by phone when queueing for a drive-thu, or get a passenger to do it for you.
