While many motorists have been fined by different police forces in key cities for using their mobile phones while driving, a 25-year-old Brisbane man was penalised $250 for eating McDonald's hotcakes while behind the wheels.

The man was charged with Failing to have Proper Control of a Motor Vehicle. The driver was spotted without his hand on the wheel at around 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday at the northwest intersection in Brisbane.

He was spotted violating driving safety law because he stopped beside a police car, Albany Creek Police officer-in-charge Mat Kelly said. Mr Kelly reminded motorists to have at least one hand on the steering wheel at all times.

Using a mobile phone, while driving, is illegal in many Australian states. Such an offence would merit a $234 on-the-spot fine and three demerit points in Victoria although police officers are exempt from that law while driving police vehicles under Rule 305 of the Road Safety Road Rules 2009.

A photo of a Victoria female police officer who was seen talking on her cellphone while driving became viral in social media sites in May after the photo was posted and received thousands of hits. The photo angered many motorists who have been fined for similar offences.

Although the use of mobile phones has been blamed for the growing number of distracted driving accidents, data from the Motor Accident Commission showed that among drivers and riders who were responsible for fatal crashes in 2011, 78 per cent had at least one prior driving offence majority of which were either speeding or drunk driving.