It isn’t unheard of for a person to consume chocolate, soup or coffee while driving to work or home from school. However, eating or drinking while driving on a California highway may increase a person’s risk of getting into an accident. This is because doing so can cause a person to experience visual, manual or cognitive distractions. In some cases, drivers may experience a combination of distractions if they consume food while their vehicles are in motion.
For instance, they may need to take one or both hands off of their steering wheels to hold the food or condiments. Drivers also run the risk of spilling extremely hot or extremely cold beverages. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drivers who drink from an open container are 39% more likely to be in a near-miss or actual collision.
Another study in 2014 found that drivers who eat or drink while driving are 3.6 times more likely to be an accident compared to those who are not. Individuals are encouraged to wait until they get home before enjoying a hamburger, milkshake or another delicious treat. Those who are hundreds of miles from their final destination are encouraged to eat in a parking lot or while pulled over on the side of the road.
Those who are hurt in a motor vehicle accident may wish to file a personal injury lawsuit. Injured victims may be entitled to compensation even if they were passengers in the vehicle that caused the crash to occur. Compensation may help to pay for current or future medical bills or other damages related to the accident. Those damages may include lost wages or the cost of refurbishing a home or car to make it easier for an injured person to use.
