This week (December 1 – 7) has been marked as National Safe Driving Week and in partnership with the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada, the Canada Safety Council says it wants to highlight the dangers of distracted driving, with a particular focus on eating behind the wheel.
“Distraction is distraction, no matter how you slice it,” said Gareth Jones, president and CEO of the Canada Safety Council, in a media release.
“We all have a responsibility — to ourselves, to our loved ones and to our fellow road users — to remain vigilant at all times and stay focused on the task at hand.”
The Canada Safety Council says that driving always requires your full attention.
“Any activity that removes your focus off the road can be qualified as distraction,” the media release states.
It added those activities can include using your phone, reprogramming your radio or Global Positioning System (GPS), grooming, entering a conversation with passengers and even eating and drinking behind the wheel.
“A momentary loss of focus on the road can cost you a second or two in which to react to a sudden change in expected traffic or behaviour. And that small moment of time can make all the difference in the world.”
The release stated that eating when behind the wheel is a common activity, with some polls online estimating the number at up to 70 per cent of all drivers.
The Canada Safety Council also added that distraction behind the wheel is a major contributor to collisions and near-misses however, drivers do not often correlate eating behind the wheel as a form of distraction.
HOW DO I AVOID IT?
1. Leave yourself extra time and eat before you leave or wait until after you arrive at your destination.
2. Don’t keep food in your vehicle. It’s easy to avoid the temptation when it’s not within arm’s reach! Leave the granola bar or the candy bar at home. Alternatively, leave your snacks in the back seat or the trunk, out of reach from the driver seat, and pull over if you feel like you need to eat.
3. Wait until you’re fully stopped — for example, at a red light — before taking a sip from your non-alcoholic drink. Do not drink alcohol behind the wheel.
4. If you’re picking up fast food, resist the temptation to immediately dig in. Wait until you arrive to start eating.
5. If you absolutely cannot wait to eat, park your car and enjoy your meal while immobile.
“No meal is worth endangering the lives of your fellow road users or your own,” the media release stressed.
“Act responsibly and help keep Canadian roads safe for everyone!”