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Best safety practices for eating while driving

by Nathan Michael - Posted 1 year ago

Have you ever tried doing two things at once, only to discover both of those things were not done well? Today we talk on the phone, text, put on makeup, and eat an entire meal all while operating a vehicle. Safety often suffers in these situations.

Have you eaten while driving? The majority of us has probably done that at least once in our lives. If you select messy, drippy foods to eat behind the wheel, disaster may be right around the corner. Picture the guy shoving a greasy cheeseburger into his mouth with one hand while he steers with the other. How much attention is he giving to operating the car? Not much, unfortunately.

It may not be realistic to completely abstain from eating and driving. Long road trips or harried, last minute drives to work make it almost impossible. However, there are some guidelines on how to find road worthy foods. It is possible to arrive at your destination without food in your lap, on your face and without endangering yourself or others in the process.

  • Never pick a food that requires a utensil to eat. This includes ice cream sundaes, salads, chili, and soup. It might sound like a no-brainer to most of us, but plenty of people use their leg to steer while both hands are occupied by eating such foods.
  • Saucy and gooey foods are a no-no. What happens when you discover your jelly donut just dripped all down your front? You snag a napkin and start trying to dab at it, swerving around the road in the process.
  • Hot drinks and foods can hinder your driving too. Take a sip, burn your mouth and just try to keep the car in one lane.

Develop a solid menu of simple to eat and roadworthy foods that will never drip, burn or smear. Look for foods which only require one hand to eat. Even foods accompanied by dips require you to take your eyes off the road. So if you have to eat and drive, stick to the one hand, mess-free rule to get you and your family there in one piece.

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