Is Eating While Driving Dangerous? Do You Eat And Drive? [Polls]

Cell phones get a lot of attention for distracting drivers, but cell phones are only the beginning of a long list of distractions.

Eating in the car is a common distraction, but is it dangerous?

Do you eat while driving?

To lump all eating into one category isn't quite fair.

Eating a few french fries doesn't bring the same level of distraction as other more messy foods might, but any food can still be a distraction.

Is eating and driving dangerous?

One study says "yes".

Dma.ca.gov reports:

According to a study released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), 80% of crashes and 65% of near-crashes involve some form of driver distraction.

According to the NHTSA and VTTI study, the principal actions that cause distracted driving and lead to vehicle crashes are:

• cell phone use.
• reaching for a moving object inside the vehicle.
• looking at an object or event outside of the vehicle.
• reading.
• applying makeup.

Nydailynews.com reports on which foods are the most distracting, according to the study:

Coffee is the worst, bringing new meaning to the adage "don't drink and drive."

The study puts the other culprits in this order: soup, tacos, chili dogs, hamburgers, ribs and wings, fried chicken, jelly doughnuts, soda and chocolate.

Some of these foods seem like they would be VERY distracting.

Soup.  Ribs.  Wings.  Chili dogs!

I don't see how eating any of those items while driving could be even remotely close to safe.

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