Eating While Driving
Replies
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Packerjohn wrote: »Driving is a very coordinated effort that requires a great deal of attention and personal responsibility. Accidents can be caused by a wide variety of circumstances - some avoidable and personally responsible (texting, etc) some not (a wasp suddenly lands on your face and startles you - happens to me a lot where I live). Everyone should exercise the utmost caution and responsibility, but it is possible to eat or drink and not be any more "distracted" that someone using a stick shift who has to not only let go of the wheel with one hand, but find the right gear without looking, and while simultaneously working the clutch and the gas pedal - to me that is a lot to do at once, while trying to pay attention to the traffic and road etc. Someone taking a bite of a cereal bar is safer to me
I'm guessing you have never driven a stick shift. If so, you would not mention the idea of being able to get the car in the correct gear without looking as an issue.
I've put about 500,000 miles on 2 cars with stick shifts in the last 16 years. When driving a stick, most people will not be eating, messing with phone, make-up, etc because they have to actually be driving the car. I'd maintain, just on my own experience manual transmissions lead to less distracted driving.
Actually I have had several stick shifts. After 500k miles on 2 cars, I am sure *you* dont ever have to look. But do you think everyone out there driving a stick shift has the experience you do? That person in the lane next to you might have gotten that car that week. Some cars have the gears in different places. Some have reverse on opposite sides. Some have 5 gears, some 6. Not every person you encounter driving a stick shift is going to be as "smooth" as you. And I still maintain that a person driving an automatic with one hand while eating a cereal bar from the other can be "safer" than some people driving a stick shift. Stick shifts require not only both hands but both feet to all coordinate at the same time, all the while dealing with the same traffic circumstances as someone driving an automatic who only requires one hand and one foot. It is inherently more "complex". Yes, people can be very good at it, but especially in the past 10-15 years, it is getting much less common and younger people do not have the same experience you do.
I am not saying driving a stick is a bad/dangerous/thing. The opposite actually - my point was that eating a snack while driving is really not that inherently dangerous - no more so than driving a stick shift. It is perfectly accepted that driving a stick is not "distracting", and I dont think all eating situations are either.
Personal responsibility and common sense are the key. unforunately, there is no common sense portion on the driving exam.2 -
Packerjohn wrote: »Driving is a very coordinated effort that requires a great deal of attention and personal responsibility. Accidents can be caused by a wide variety of circumstances - some avoidable and personally responsible (texting, etc) some not (a wasp suddenly lands on your face and startles you - happens to me a lot where I live). Everyone should exercise the utmost caution and responsibility, but it is possible to eat or drink and not be any more "distracted" that someone using a stick shift who has to not only let go of the wheel with one hand, but find the right gear without looking, and while simultaneously working the clutch and the gas pedal - to me that is a lot to do at once, while trying to pay attention to the traffic and road etc. Someone taking a bite of a cereal bar is safer to me
I'm guessing you have never driven a stick shift. If so, you would not mention the idea of being able to get the car in the correct gear without looking as an issue.
I've put about 500,000 miles on 2 cars with stick shifts in the last 16 years. When driving a stick, most people will not be eating, messing with phone, make-up, etc because they have to actually be driving the car. I'd maintain, just on my own experience manual transmissions lead to less distracted driving.
Actually I have had several stick shifts. After 500k miles on 2 cars, I am sure *you* dont ever have to look. But do you think everyone out there driving a stick shift has the experience you do? That person in the lane next to you might have gotten that car that week. Some cars have the gears in different places. Some have reverse on opposite sides. Some have 5 gears, some 6. Not every person you encounter driving a stick shift is going to be as "smooth" as you. And I still maintain that a person driving an automatic with one hand while eating a cereal bar from the other can be "safer" than some people driving a stick shift. Stick shifts require not only both hands but both feet to all coordinate at the same time, all the while dealing with the same traffic circumstances as someone driving an automatic who only requires one hand and one foot. It is inherently more "complex". Yes, people can be very good at it, but especially in the past 10-15 years, it is getting much less common and younger people do not have the same experience you do.
I am not saying driving a stick is a bad/dangerous/thing. The opposite actually - my point was that eating a snack while driving is really not that inherently dangerous - no more so than driving a stick shift. It is perfectly accepted that driving a stick is not "distracting", and I dont think all eating situations are either.
Personal responsibility and common sense are the key. unforunately, there is no common sense portion on the driving exam.
Of course there may be slight learning curve when someone gets a different car, but that is minimal.
Apparently insurance companies don't consider shifting a manual transmission vehicle distracting otherwise they would charge more for than an automatic then the same vehicle with an automatic.
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Packerjohn wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »Driving is a very coordinated effort that requires a great deal of attention and personal responsibility. Accidents can be caused by a wide variety of circumstances - some avoidable and personally responsible (texting, etc) some not (a wasp suddenly lands on your face and startles you - happens to me a lot where I live). Everyone should exercise the utmost caution and responsibility, but it is possible to eat or drink and not be any more "distracted" that someone using a stick shift who has to not only let go of the wheel with one hand, but find the right gear without looking, and while simultaneously working the clutch and the gas pedal - to me that is a lot to do at once, while trying to pay attention to the traffic and road etc. Someone taking a bite of a cereal bar is safer to me
I'm guessing you have never driven a stick shift. If so, you would not mention the idea of being able to get the car in the correct gear without looking as an issue.
I've put about 500,000 miles on 2 cars with stick shifts in the last 16 years. When driving a stick, most people will not be eating, messing with phone, make-up, etc because they have to actually be driving the car. I'd maintain, just on my own experience manual transmissions lead to less distracted driving.
Actually I have had several stick shifts. After 500k miles on 2 cars, I am sure *you* dont ever have to look. But do you think everyone out there driving a stick shift has the experience you do? That person in the lane next to you might have gotten that car that week. Some cars have the gears in different places. Some have reverse on opposite sides. Some have 5 gears, some 6. Not every person you encounter driving a stick shift is going to be as "smooth" as you. And I still maintain that a person driving an automatic with one hand while eating a cereal bar from the other can be "safer" than some people driving a stick shift. Stick shifts require not only both hands but both feet to all coordinate at the same time, all the while dealing with the same traffic circumstances as someone driving an automatic who only requires one hand and one foot. It is inherently more "complex". Yes, people can be very good at it, but especially in the past 10-15 years, it is getting much less common and younger people do not have the same experience you do.
I am not saying driving a stick is a bad/dangerous/thing. The opposite actually - my point was that eating a snack while driving is really not that inherently dangerous - no more so than driving a stick shift. It is perfectly accepted that driving a stick is not "distracting", and I dont think all eating situations are either.
Personal responsibility and common sense are the key. unforunately, there is no common sense portion on the driving exam.
Of course there may be slight learning curve when someone gets a different car, but that is minimal.
Apparently insurance companies don't consider shifting a manual transmission vehicle distracting otherwise they would charge more for than an automatic then the same vehicle with an automatic.
Again, I was not complaining that they were distracting.The OP was asking if eating while driving was too much of a distraction and dangerous. I was pointing out that eating a cereal bar while driving an automatic was no more distracting than driving a stick shift. I agree, people get used to it and do just fine. Same with eating a cereal bar.1 -
Ya know what's worse than eating and driving? Mixing your protein shake while driving. It's weird how your legs move along with your arms.
Or so I've heard.2 -
Motorsheen wrote: »while driving?
yeah, either matzo ball soup or bbq ribs are my first choice
I draw the line at build it fajitas. I get sour cream all over the place and the police give me a funny look.5 -
The real danger of eating and driving is... choking on food behind the wheel. Outside of the usual places people eat (home, restaurants) it's the most common place to die from choking according to my last CPR instructor.3
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CipherZero wrote: »The real danger of eating and driving is... choking on food behind the wheel. Outside of the usual places people eat (home, restaurants) it's the most common place to die from choking according to my last CPR instructor.
Hadn't thought of that. You're probably more likely to be alone (without help) in your car than at home or in a restaurant.0 -
SuzySunshine99 wrote: »I occasionally see posts asking for advice on what's good to eat while driving.
Do you think eating while driving is okay? Do you do it? Why or why not? Have you ever been in/almost been in an accident because of it?
My opinion: Anything that takes your hands off the wheel and your eyes off the road is dangerous. I don't buy the argument that you don't have time to eat unless it's in the car.
I was involved in an accident due to the other driver eating while he was driving. He had dropped his food and got flustered.
My husband suffered permanent injuries from being hit by a distracted driver while riding his bike. The woman was texting at the time.
What's your opinion?
Washington state just made it illegal to eat and drive for that very reason.
The only safe way really is to eat something small like nuts, etc. Easy to handle, and if you drop them, it's no big deal.
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stanmann571 wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »Driving is a very coordinated effort that requires a great deal of attention and personal responsibility. Accidents can be caused by a wide variety of circumstances - some avoidable and personally responsible (texting, etc) some not (a wasp suddenly lands on your face and startles you - happens to me a lot where I live). Everyone should exercise the utmost caution and responsibility, but it is possible to eat or drink and not be any more "distracted" that someone using a stick shift who has to not only let go of the wheel with one hand, but find the right gear without looking, and while simultaneously working the clutch and the gas pedal - to me that is a lot to do at once, while trying to pay attention to the traffic and road etc. Someone taking a bite of a cereal bar is safer to me
I'm guessing you have never driven a stick shift. If so, you would not mention the idea of being able to get the car in the correct gear without looking as an issue.
I've put about 500,000 miles on 2 cars with stick shifts in the last 16 years. When driving a stick, most people will not be eating, messing with phone, make-up, etc because they have to actually be driving the car. I'd maintain, just on my own experience manual transmissions lead to less distracted driving.
That's funny. But I think you're serious. And you've never seen someone eating or putting on makeup while driving a standard.
Driving a stick shift didn't stop me from eating in a car.0 -
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nevadavis1 wrote: »I have witnessed a woman driving on a crowded highway, using both hands to hold a cheese burger and driving with her elbows. No good.
Knees i can understand, but elbows?0 -
I honestly have never had the desire to eat while driving. To me, eating while being distracted while driving is a waste of calories since I wouldn't be enjoying the food as much as I could if I were focusing my attention on eating. The existence of drive-thrus is something that puzzles me to this day. Whenever I'm hungry, going through one to get something isn't a thought that ever really crosses my mind. Instead, I usually just think something along the lines of, "I'm hungry. I better get home so that I can get something to eat." To be fair, my parents never used the drive-thu when I was little, so I guess that I never got accustomed to it. We always went inside when we are fast food.0
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I rarely eat while driving. When I do, it's something like a chunk of hard cheese, or something I can put in a container beside me that I can reach without looking (carrots, grapes, sugar snap peas). Fast food, only the fries and the bag is positioned in such a way that I don't have to look. Burgers, I either park or wait until I get where I'm going.0
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Sure, it's fine2
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I only do it on rare occasions, and mainly limited to simple things like cereal bars. Some of that may be related to my overall driving experience (only 4.5 years of driving on my own).0
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I never eat in the car because of the mess. My vehicles are always clean inside and out, I often take clients and coworkers in them and that way I never have to apologize about the condition of my car.
I like the act of eating, much more enjoyable when you can actually sit down and concentrate on the meal.
This is all in addition to the safety reasons for not eating in the car.
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No eating in my car! It's hard enough to keep clean with 3 kids! They are not allowed to eat or drink... even those little lollipops they get at the bank somehow I find later stuck on the carpet or in between the seats.
I do sip coffee from a travel mug, but it has a spring loaded lid that snaps open with the push of a button and snaps closed.
I find talking on the phone, even speakerphone the most distracting thing ever when driving. Kids in the back doesn't bother me. I just tell them I'm driving and ignore them.
I do have an exception when we drive from VA to NY. I let the kids eat a non messy meal and water to save time (instead of stopping for a meal). I may eat a protein bar if I'm really hungry, but most of the time I can wait.0 -
I make time before/after arriving at my destination to eat. If it's long distance? Maybe I'll have something drinkable, or something I can set down on the seat next to me so I'm not holding it the whole time. But this is only in circumstances where I need something to eat or I'll lose focus driving due to hunger.0
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It's not the number of hands on the wheel that's the issue - it's the lack of concentration and distraction that causes the danger.
Whether that's from eating or using a phone when driving is pretty irrelevant.
That fraction of a second you lose because you missed a situation developing or being unaware of your surroundings can make the difference between a near miss and a collision.
I became an advanced riding instructor (motorcycles) after my first incident and had the privilege of riding with some really skillful riders. The gulf in skill and safety levels is primarily down to concentration and application. They aren't better and safer riders/drivers just through luck - they work at it.
PS - I've been injured twice by distracted or otherwise not concentrating drivers. Both collisions had the potential to kill me, one resulted in a permanent injury.6 -
I used to work 3rd shift when my daughter was young, and I had a 55 min commute home. I found that falling asleep at the wheel was much more dangerous than eating in the car. I ended up drinking water and peeling and eating oranges - that seemed to be the best to help me stay awake. Luckily I never injured anyone, but I came close many times to rear ending someone/running red light/passing school buses etc. I was terrified and took a huge cut in pay to get a day shift job as soon as I could.0
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Road Trip !!
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nevadavis1 wrote: »I have witnessed a woman driving on a crowded highway, using both hands to hold a cheese burger and driving with her elbows. No good.
Her elbows? Amateur! Thats what your left knee is for. sheesh.
Really though I had a really awful experience just taking a sip of soda at the drive thru. I took a sip while stopping waiting for my order and for what ever reason it felt like it was tearing up my esophagus (worst physical pain I've ever felt) as it was going down. I got my order, caught my breath and pulled forward to get out of the way (trying not to make a big deal). Started to feel funny so went to throw the car into park but it was too late and I woke up to a bunch of people trying to get in to my car. The car crossed 4 lanes of traffic and turned another car on its side. The moments before learning no one was killed were the most terrifying seconds. It could have been so much worse and it haunts me. The guy hopped out of his car and refused care at the scene but is having problems now
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Honestly, I find driving my niece and nephew around FAR more distracting than having some dry cereal or a small sandwich in the car.2
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I eat while I drive sometimes. Nothing that's messy or requires 2 hands, but a cheeseburger or something is fine. I also drive stick.1
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SuzySunshine99 wrote: »My opinion: Anything that takes your hands off the wheel and your eyes off the road is dangerous. I don't buy the argument that you don't have time to eat unless it's in the car.
What's your opinion?
I drive one-handed constantly while not doing anything except listening to the radio. So what.Honestly, I find driving my niece and nephew around FAR more distracting than having some dry cereal or a small sandwich in the car.
OMG, True story. Kids are the worst distraction.2 -
SuzySunshine99 wrote: »My opinion: Anything that takes your hands off the wheel and your eyes off the road is dangerous. I don't buy the argument that you don't have time to eat unless it's in the car.
What's your opinion?
I drive one-handed constantly while not doing anything except listening to the radio. So what.Honestly, I find driving my niece and nephew around FAR more distracting than having some dry cereal or a small sandwich in the car.
OMG, True story. Kids are the worst distraction.
They should make having kids in the car illegal!4 -
Ironandwine69 wrote: »SuzySunshine99 wrote: »My opinion: Anything that takes your hands off the wheel and your eyes off the road is dangerous. I don't buy the argument that you don't have time to eat unless it's in the car.
What's your opinion?
I drive one-handed constantly while not doing anything except listening to the radio. So what.Honestly, I find driving my niece and nephew around FAR more distracting than having some dry cereal or a small sandwich in the car.
OMG, True story. Kids are the worst distraction.
They should make having kids in the car illegal!
They should make MAKING kids in the car illegal. At least if you're driving.5 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »Ironandwine69 wrote: »SuzySunshine99 wrote: »My opinion: Anything that takes your hands off the wheel and your eyes off the road is dangerous. I don't buy the argument that you don't have time to eat unless it's in the car.
What's your opinion?
I drive one-handed constantly while not doing anything except listening to the radio. So what.Honestly, I find driving my niece and nephew around FAR more distracting than having some dry cereal or a small sandwich in the car.
OMG, True story. Kids are the worst distraction.
They should make having kids in the car illegal!
They should make MAKING kids in the car illegal. At least if you're driving.
I don't think you can get pregnant from oral sex.
Wait..can you????2 -
Ironandwine69 wrote: »SuzySunshine99 wrote: »My opinion: Anything that takes your hands off the wheel and your eyes off the road is dangerous. I don't buy the argument that you don't have time to eat unless it's in the car.
What's your opinion?
I drive one-handed constantly while not doing anything except listening to the radio. So what.Honestly, I find driving my niece and nephew around FAR more distracting than having some dry cereal or a small sandwich in the car.
OMG, True story. Kids are the worst distraction.
They should make having kids in the car illegal!
Then what would cab drivers do?1
This discussion has been closed.
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