Drivers must worry about their surroundings no matter the circumstances. Often facing poor weather, crowded roads and inexperienced drivers, motorists must work hard to safety navigate city streets and fast-moving highways. Additionally, drivers of all experience levels must avoid dangerous distractions that can pull their focus from the road.
One distraction that is so commonplace the hazards often go unrecognized is dining and driving. From the prevalence of drive-thru restaurants and coffee shops to the ever-increasing number of cupholders in a vehicle’s cabin, drivers feel encouraged to have a meal or sip a drink while behind the wheel. Unfortunately, these actions are distractions as they often require a driver to take a hand from the steering wheel, the eyes from the road and the attention from the safe control of the vehicle. Here are five dining and driving activities that drivers must avoid while behind the wheel:
- Drinking a beverage: Whether it is a travel mug of coffee on the way to work or a bottle of water on the way home from class, drivers often become preoccupied by their choice of beverage while behind the wheel.
- Eating chocolate: A tasty treat could be bad for you – but not for the reason you think. It is not uncommon for a sweet treat to melt while being held and eaten. Drivers become preoccupied with making a mess to the point of cleaning up their hands while losing sight of the road.
- Biting into a jelly-filled or cream-filled donut: While a common breakfast snack, donuts can create serious messes under any circumstances. From powdered sugar spraying everywhere to spilling the jelly filling, drivers will likely find themselves worrying about keeping the mess off their work clothes rather than watching traffic.
- Eating a sandwich: Drivers will always need a hand off the steering wheel to eat a sandwich and will often need both hands to contain their food. Unfortunately, this can cause quite a distraction when trying to both eat and drive at the same time.
- Drinking hot soup: Not only is a driver distracted by the act of drinking a cup of soup, but he or she must deal with the over-heated liquid – either blowing on it to cool it down or suffering the pain of hot soup.
Driver distractions can come in many forms. From personal grooming and reading an email to talking on the phone and having a text conversation, drivers find it tempting to multitask while behind the wheel. Unfortunately, these actions not only pull a hand off the steering wheel, but they require the driver to focus on something other than the safe operation of the vehicle. From busy, fast-moving streets to road construction, there are countless hazards on any given path.
A motor vehicle accident can result in catastrophic injuries such as broken bones, brain trauma and spinal cord damage. Vehicle occupants could struggle with surgeries, lengthy hospital stays and extensive physical therapy.
