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DASHBOARD DINING
The guy pulls out of the drive-through and steers with one hand into rush-hour traffic -- a Double Whopper in one hand, a box of fries tucked between his knees and a trough-size drink wedged precariously in the cup holder.
Ref. https://deseretnews.com/dn/view/1%2C1249%2C...56271%2C00.html
For me, eating behind the wheel helps me to stay awake. On trips of half an hour or more, I like to chew on something to give me a bit of energy, and to keep my mind alert with the eating process. Since I am a fidgety sort, when my hands aren't doing anything, and my feet are just lying there on the pedals, I tend to get drowsy. Eating behind the wheel has saved my life several times.
I have to agree that eating behind the wheel might take some focus off of safe driving, but I believe I've mastered the art of it. Sometimes I select my meals for the simple fact of how easy they are to eat in the car. The article mentions that the food can just as easily spill and create a further problem behind the wheel and I do agree. That is why when I'm driving, I usually stick to chicken nuggets and fries cause they are easy to pick up and I don't have to worry about dribbling the contents of a messy sandwich onto my lap or car interior.
Burritos are not my preference, because they are unpredictably messy. The tortilla can burst at any place on it, spilling beans all over my pants. Although burgers and sandwiches can be messy, most of the time the mess comes from the downward-facing edge, and it's much easier for me to compensate and prepare for a mess from that one spot, rather than trying to patch a burrito leak on a side that I may or may not notice.
Yes, it is a science!
I think probably most people if they are honest have been guilty of this at one time or another, but there is a difference between driving whilst eating 1 biscuit, to the guy in this article who's trying to juggle his driving with eating a burger, fries, and holding a drink between his knees, that's really asking for trouble!
I think also, that at least with food, if you need to throw it down quickly, you can do, unlike smoking when you are driving, now with that, you really can't just throw your lit cigarette down just anywhere!