According to recent surveys and data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distractions in cars were considered the cause in 25 percent of police-reported motor vehicle crashes and eating while driving is one of the most distracting things you can do.

 What makes distraction such a problem is when multiple distractions come together such as eating, and the unexpected occurrence on the road, like a sharp curve or an emergency stop.

In looking at the insurer's history of claims insurance companies have found that most drivers had problems on the way to work, when spills might damage their work attire. This made drivers more anxious to clean up spills while still trying to drive, instead of pulling off the road to deal with the mess. Conclusion – probably anything that can drip is not a good idea. Even in cups with travel lids, somehow the liquid finds its way out of the opening each time you hit a bump

The top food offenders in a car are:

Coffee
 it always finds a way to spill from the cup
Hot soup
 many people drink it like coffee, same as above
Chilli
 the possibilities for large dollops down the front of clothing are excellent
Tacos
disassemble it self leaving your lap looking like a salad bar
Hamburgers
grease from burger, ketchup and mustard on your hands, your clothes and on your steering wheel
Barbecued food
same as hamburgers, but with the added danger of it being finger licking good
Jelly or cream-filled donuts
where’s the strawberry center of that jelly donut going?
Soft drinks
 they can spill and with any sudden movements you can get fizz up your nose.
Chocolate
chocolate coats the fingers, it melts and you may find yourself on the wrong side of the road while trying to clean off the marks its made.

Insurance companies don't track specific information on eating and driving, because it's very difficult to break it down, however insurance companies are aware of the problem. The difficulty in pinning down the exact cause of accidents lies in identifying the specific distraction which could be a number of things such as cell phone use, talking to passengers, reading the newspaper, or eating, all of which some drivers engage in.   

A survey has found that driving a standard vehicle with a manual gear shift while eating can be twice as dangerous, since one hand is holding food and the other hand is shifting. So who is driving? More dangerous sill is using a cell phone while driving. When the phone rings the driver is distracted significantly in trying to answer the phone to the extent that they forget they are actually driving a car.

The problem of eating and driving is widespread and ranks as Number 2 in the driving distractions league (Number 1 is tuning in the radio). The bottom line is, if you want to reduce the risk of accidents and your insurance costs - eat before you leave.

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