Eating, Drinking, and Driving

Typically, when people hear drinking and driving is dangerous, they picture someone who is drinking alcohol while driving, or driving while intoxicated, not someone drinking a Big Gulp or Dutch Bros Coffee. Drinking any beverage, or eating, is very dangerous while driving, but it’s one of the most common things to see on the road regardless, and many states still do not have defined laws against eating and drinking non alcoholic beverages while driving, even though it is a form of distracted driving. People also tend to think it’s safe, or not that dangerous because of how often they see other drivers eating and drinking while driving.

Examples of how eating and drinking are dangerous include greasy foods making it harder to control the wheel, eating quickly while driving can increase chances of choking, and eating spicy foods can cause sweating, sneezing, or tearing up which can distract the driver’s focus from the road. People drinking hot beverages can also be at risk for burns if they were to spill the drink on themselves, which could be dangerous for the driver, and the people driving around them. It’s also possible that while eating or drinking, the food or beverage you are consuming has a high chance of blocking most of your view on the road.

People typically assume that eating and driving is safe because they see a lot of other people do it, but in reality it puts themselves and other people in danger.“A driver who is distracted by eating or drinking from an open container is 39-percent more likely to experience a collision or near-miss collision than an attentive driver.” (https://www.epermittest.com). Even though the risk of getting in an accident seems low, it is still very common. It’s very hard to find exact data on crashes caused by eating or drinking as they usually fall into the distracted driving category, and because it is commonly looked over as a distraction sometimes.

Unfortunately, there are no defined laws prohibiting eating and driving in most states, but you could still face a ticket for distracted driving or reckless driving if you are driving poorly as a result from eating or drinking. “In several states, including Washington, motorists may be cited for eating or drinking while driving under a secondary law.” (https://www.epermittest.com). So while there are not specific laws against eating and driving, you are still likely to be cited for reckless driving, and distracted driving if you’re seen eating or drinking, and not driving at your best.

Some ways drivers can stop eating or drinking while driving is to place their food in the backseat, eat before driving or taking long trips, pull over for water breaks and to stretch during long trips instead of eating or drinking behind the wheel, and avoid driving while hungry. It may be a slight inconvenience to have to reheat the food you just drove home, but imagine the inconvenience when your food is splattered all over the backseat of your totaled car! 

Sources: https://www.epermittest.com/drivers-education/eating-and-drinking-while-driving

sidenote: This is one of my college essays