An insurance company has rated the ten most dangerous foods to eat while driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has found that eating is a bigger distraction than using a cell phone when driving.

The company, Hagerty Insurance, looked into what sorts of foods folks were eating when accidents occured. The main problems they found:

• Foods that drip ooze get on things -- like clothes. Drivers then try to immediately clean them off, taking their attention off the roads. "Drips distract drivers."

• Drinks that spill do much the same, making open-topped drinks especially problematic -- doubly-so if they are hot.

• Sticky or greasy foods interfere with gripping the wheel, and provide their own constant distraction to keep cleaning the hands.

• Foods that take an extra hand can reduce control of the wheel or make manual shifting more difficult.

The list was ranked by the degree of distraction in eating, the degree of difficulty in eating with only one hand on the wheel, and the popularity of the food in question. The top ten:

10. Chocolate
9. Soft Drinks
8. Jelly and Cream-Filled Donuts
7. Fried Chicken
6. Any Barbecued Food
5. Juicy Hamburgers
4. Chili or Chili-covered Foods
3. Tacos
2. Hot Soups
1. Coffee

Other particular hazards they found:

• Morning rush hour is more dangerous for food than in the evening, since folks are more concerned about their appearance.
• The odds of an accident double if the vehicle has a stick shift.
• The odds increase even more when combining eating with cell phone usage.

This is all amusing ... but I can attest to the degree of distraction that fighting spills -- or simply unwrapping a burger -- can cause.

Drive safe out there, folks. A burger isn't worth an accident.

Filed under :: Cars
Link · Print · Edit · TR/G

I just can't imagine trying to eat barbecue or fried chicken while driving.

And I'm glad I don't drink coffee. I wonder if they took tea into account in their study...

'The odds of an accident double if the vehicle has a stick shift.'
I am surprised this isn't higher...

I am always amazed when I see people on their cell phones, smoking, and driving... Insane.

Two hands. One of these should be on the wheel. I don't care how clever you are with your knees.

With the plethera of cheap travel mugs available, what are people doing with open cups in their cars?

Another distraction I would add - just opening the heinous wide-mouth cans all the pop companies seem to be moving to - can anyone do this with one hand while driving and not spray pop all over your interior and your hand? They don't work for me, and I wish they would go back to the old openings...

The cup-holders in my Saturn are inset into the center console, so I can open up pop cans one-handed. I don't, much, because I like ice with my soda, but I can do it I need to.

Fortunately, given my long experience at always having a book in my hand (except when driving, I'll hasten to point out), all my fingers are pretty flexible and strong, so I have been known to be holding something in the hand that's holding the wheel, while I shift the car.

Of course, if I ever catch Katherine doing that ...

Having eaten while driving for many years, I have always ascribed to the better to wear it than die princepal. Only once did I have to put that into action, and I proud to say that I dropped the food and drove the car. That said, I also am very particyular about what I eat and where I am driving while I eat. Stoplights and food don't mix (especially since both my cars are manual). The most dextrous driver/eater was my father who operated the brake with one hand also holding an ice cream cone, and drove with the other.

I guess my morning cup of hot soup and 4 tacos will have to be eaten before I get beind the wheel?