"While there are no specific laws prohibiting a driver from eating while driving, it is up to the driver to ensure they remain in proper control of their vehicle and sufficiently alert to the road environment."
A Car Full of Clutter Equals a Distracted, Dangerous Driver
Treating your vehicle like a make-shift dining room is asking for more than a big mess. Eating while driving puts yourself and other motorists at a higher risk of a crash.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving is one of the leading causes of accidents. That includes eating. So, they advise that you eat in your car before you leave the restaurant or wait until you arrive at your destination before you dig into your take-out meal.
Look for foods which only require one hand to eat. A handful of nuts or dried fruit are good options. Water is good because it won't burn or stain if spilled. So if you have to eat and drive, stick to the one-hand, mess-free rule to get you and your family there in one piece.
“The most dangerous time to drive is three hours after eating,” she said. “That's because most of us have a metabolic rate of about three hours, so this is the point where we will feel the most tired.”
One in 10 drivers admit that driving while hungry impacts their ability to concentrate behind the wheel and almost 15% admit that feeling thirsty also affects their driving ability. Worryingly, 7% of drivers say that driving while feeling hungry makes them take longer to react to situations on the road.
Speeding increases fuel consumption and decreases fuel economy as a result of tire rolling resistance and air resistance. While vehicles reach optimal fuel economy at different speeds, gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 50 miles per hour (mph).
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, hot chocolate, coffee, doughnuts, and hamburgers are the most dangerous items to eat. 80% of accidents are caused by distracted driving, and the average fender bender can cost over four-figures.
Yes, you do burn calories when you're behind the wheel! The average person will burn 150 to 250 calories per hour by driving a car, and possibly more if they're driving a large truck or a bus. For reference, the average person burns 60 to 130 calories per hour by sitting and 415 calories per hour by walking.
Forty-eight percent of males and 40 percent of females admit to never eating while driving, with the remaining majority falling somewhere in the range of eating behind the wheel every day and only a few times a year.
Yes, cooking in a car is fine if you have a food tuck (or similar setup). You definitely will need this approved by the health department. However, cooking while the vehicle is moving is a bad idea. Say you are boiling water and the vehicle has to stop suddenly.
Healthiness of the food we eat decreases by 1.7% for every hour that passes in the day, meaning that people generally eat healthiest at breakfast and will most likely eat unhealthier food later in the day. Over 10 billion donuts are consumed in the US every year. 20% of all American meals are eaten in the car.
The Zebra conducted a survey in 2021 stating that 52.5% of polled drivers admitted to eating while behind the wheel. Avoid being a distracted driver and either park and eat, or eat before you leave.
Don't Eat Inside
Even if you're careful about getting rid of all of your wrappers and food containers, eating in your car will still inevitably lead to crumbs and other loose bits of food ending up in your carpets and the cracks between your seats.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 8% of fatal crashes and 15% of injury crashes in 2018 were reported as distracted driving accidents. While eating and drinking are considered to be driving distractions by the NHTSA, it is not against the law.
Drivers expend a lot of energy to withstand high g-forces, or gravitational forces, from acceleration. They also wear thick suits and compete in hot weather with little hydration, which makes them sweat a lot and lose water weight, according to motorsport website One Stop Racing.
Driving a vehicle is a physical activity, and a driver who gets no physical exercise may not have the required strength, flexibility, or coordination to control and operate a vehicle safely.
Driving is not a high-calorie burning activity like running or bicycling, but it does burn calories. A person weighing at 130 pounds will burn approximately 118 calories after having driven 30 miles. Increasing speed does not increase the weight loss, but if the person is heavier, the weight loss does decrease.
For this reason, a driver does not require a large intake of food, but rather should limit it to 2,000 / 2,500 kcal per day. But “you should never get behind the wheel on an empty stomach, as you could suffer low blood sugar and dizziness.
Make sure you get enough sleep before the big day, and don't crash diet to prepare for a big meal. “The most dangerous time to drive is three hours after eating. That's because most of us have a metabolic rate of about three hours, so this is the point where we will feel the most tired.
Typically, cars are most efficient at 45-50mph. As well as fuel economy differing from vehicle to vehicle, it is also dependent on a number of other factors such as tyre pressure, presence of roof racks, and driving style – all of which are covered in this guide.
Speeding shouldn't come as a surprise as one of the top ways to waste gas. When you speed, you force your car to operate at a higher level that requires more gas and the more you speed, the more gas you'll use. For the best MPG performance, our fleet fuel card company suggests driving at a speed of 55-60 mph.
It depends on the fuel efficiency and gas tank capacity. However, 30-50 miles is a distance you may be able to drive in most modern cars after the fuel gauge starts indicating empty.