Car Accidents, Distracted Driving, Personal Injury Questions Archives

Don’t Eat And Drive! Top 10 Most Dangerous Foods

In our on-the-go world, multitasking while driving is common. Many drivers try to save time by eating while driving.

Unfortunately, drivers who eat and drive often fail to give proper attention to their driving and can cause accidents.
Studies show that over 70% of drivers admit to eating while driving and 83% drink beverages while driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the odds of an accident are increased by 80% if you eat and drive and the statistics also show that eating while driving causes more accidents than texting while driving.

The 10 most dangerous foods and beverages while driving in order, and reasons why they are dangerous, include:

• Coffee – Coffee is the most dangerous food item to have in your car while driving! Because coffee is so readily available and so popular, it is widely used. Piping hot coffee in the car is just a bad idea.
• Soups – Just like hot coffee, eating hot soup is never a good idea while driving. Now that companies are making soups available in to-go cups and bowls, hot spills and burns are a lot more likely.
• Tacos – Fast food restaurants like Taco Bell make it easy to grab a taco on the go, but this tasty food generally requires 2 hands to eat. A spilled taco can create a mess on your lap and distract you while driving.
• Chili – Anything containing chili, like a chili dog or sloppy joe, can be quite dangerous and distracting. Any food that is sloppy and hot should be kept out of the car.
• Hamburgers – If it can drip, it can make a mess in your car. As one of the most frequently consumed items in vehicles, hamburgers are extremely easy to obtain and even easier to drop.
• BBQ – A tempting as it is, try to refrain from eating Franklin Barbeque while driving home. Getting barbecue sauce all over your clothes and nice leather car seat will surely lead to distracted driving.
• Fried Chicken – Fried chicken is delicious, but better enjoyed at home. Fried chicken is greasy and that grease can easily get all over hands and your steering wheel. Reaching for napkins takes your hands off the wheel and your attention away from the road.
• Jelly/Cream-filled Donuts – As a breakfast staple, the donut often finds itself being consumed in your car. However, once that boston creme or jelly filling oozes out and gets all over your car that tasty donut can become a distraction.
• Soft Drinks – Spilling a drink, having a can or bottle fall out of the cup holder, and even the act of taking a sip can all lead to increased driver distractions. That Big Gulp isn’t so refreshing when you spill 92oz all over your lap.
• Chocolate – Chocolate is messy. It’s not really something you can spill, it isn’t extremely hot, and it if you drop your candy bar, no big deal. But when it gets all over the fingers and hands, the distraction can get dangerous.

Drivers should take caution when choosing to eat and drive, particularly when consuming foods on the list above. While eating and driving may save time, if an accident is caused in these situations, the responsible driver may be held liable.

If you’ve been involved in a car accident where you suspect the other driver was distracted while driving – whether it be through cell phone, food or some other cause – an experienced Austin car accident attorney can help you hold the driver responsible. The Austin Car Accident Attorneys at Terry & Kelly, PLLC can help you recover the damages you deserve. Contact us at 512-910-2000 to schedule a free consultation and learn how we can help.