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The unknown dangers of eating while driving

On Behalf of | Sep 2, 2019 | Motor Vehicle Accidents

Unbeknownst to you (and likely many others in New Orleans) is that every time you take to the road, you may be surrounded by drivers engaged in a potentially dangerous activity. This activity may be just as likely to lead to a car accident as drunk driving or using a cellphone while behind the wheel, as countless people engage in it without realizing the risks they are creating. We are talking about eating while driving, and you (just as many of those that our team here at Bruno & Bruno has worked with in past have been) may be surprised at just how likely it is to have played a factor in your accident. 

Like most, you may view eating as being such a natural action that you would not even classify it as a distraction. Yet take a moment to think about the actions that go into eating. You have to grasp whatever it is that you are eating, you must look at what you are eating as you direct it towards your mouth, and finally, you have to pay at least some attention to what you are doing in order to avoid spills. When doing this while behind the wheel, one’s effort and attention (although likely inadvertently) is pulled away from the road ahead. 

Just how distracting can this be? Information compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that the distraction of eating and drinking while behind the wheel increases the risk of a collision or near-collision by 39 percent. What is more, a study conducted by ExxonMobil revealed that 70 percent of drivers admit to eating behind the wheel, making it highly likely that you encounter such drivers while on the road. 

More information on the dangers of distracted driving can be found throughout our site. 

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