Past posts on this blog detailed the dangers that truck drivers may pose to you and others on Williamsport’s roads when they choose to eat while driving. Yet that argument does not end with truck drivers alone; any driver can increase the risk of causing an accident when they engage in distracting activities.
Most people may think that the term “distracted driving refers only to those who text or talk on their phones while behind the wheel. Yet eating and drinking while driving can be just as dangerous (potentially even more so, given its prevalence).
Common types of driving distractions
Like many, you might view eating and drinking as natural actions that require little to no thought. Yet a review of the actions that go into this while behind the wheel reveals that they can cause distractions. There are three common types of driving distractions:
- Manual
- Visual
- Cognitive
Without realizing it, drivers who eat while operating their vehicles engage in all three simultaneously. They must use their hands to grasp their food, and they must divert both their gaze and their attention away from the road to their food in order to avoid spills.
Pinpointing when a driver was eating while driving
Knowing this information is helpful, yet ultimately prove to be a moot point unless you can show that the driver that caused your car accident was eating at the wheel. Thus, you need to let the circumstances of the aftermath speak for themselves. Did the driver has fresh food stains on their clothing? Were there open food and beverage containers in their vehicle? These thing might serve as an indication of their distraction (and thus, negligence) at the time of your accident.
