Eat it … But Not While You’re Driving

You’ve heard a thousand times the dangers of talking on your cell phone while driving, or the perils associated with texting and driving.  But we bet a lot of you are guilty of another dangerous distraction: EATING while driving.  And we’re sure you know not to “drink and drive,” but that’s true for ANY kind of beverage, not just alcohol. Soft drinks are on the top ten list of most dangerous things to consume while trying to drive.  Seriously!

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed some pretty startling statistics for such a common activity among American drivers.  According to NHTSA’s study in 2009, eating while driving increases the odds of an accident by 80% and accounts for 65% of near miss accidents.  Yikes!

Some of the top offenders for increasing the risk of an accident include hamburgers, doughnuts with cream or jelly filling, fried chicken, tacos and — ranked number one — coffee.  The truth is, anything that is going to take your attention away from the road is considered distracted driving.  You’re already averting your eyes from the road in the food-to-mouth process, and then, just imagine …  You bite into that juicy burger and suddenly you’ve got mustard dripping down your crisp white shirt.  Or a big glop of jelly you weren’t able to stop oozing out of your savory treat in time.  Fried chicken is super greasy, and tacos pretty much disassemble themselves!  Coffee is an obvious one – hot liquid spillage is always a catastrophe, and the fact that coffee “to go” is often served in flimsy cups only makes matters worse, contributing to this beverage being labeled the most dangerous item to consume while driving.

In today’s busy world, we’re always looking for ways to save time and it’s easy to fall into the trap of grabbing a bite to eat on the run.  But please – if you must grab food on the run, pull into a parking lot or wait until you reach your destination to enjoy.