ORLANDO, Fla. – Plenty of drivers have been there — pulling through a fast-food drive-thru to pick up a bite to eat on route to their destination.
However, that begs the question: is it legal to eat your grub on the road?
There’s no explicit law on the books in Florida that says drivers can’t eat while behind the wheel. However, that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to do so.
According to the Florida Department of Transportation, eating constitutes a form of distracted driving, similar to texting, grooming or interacting with passengers.
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“Distracted driving is anything that takes your hands off the wheel, your eyes off the road or mind off driving,” FDOT says. “It is extremely risky that puts everyone on the road in danger.”
Worse yet, if eating causes you to make any mistakes on the road, you could face heavy penalties.
For example, if you get preoccupied and start to swerve or speed, you can be ticketed and fined for careless driving.
Or if eating distracts you and it results in a crash, that could result in a charge of reckless driving, which can yield up to 90 days in jail and/or a fine of $500 for a first conviction. Any additional convictions can potentially double those penalties.