Remember this morning when you picked up that coffee on the way to work or last night when you went through the drive-through to pick up a hamburger, think about how you probably could not resist the coffee or hamburger and you started to consume them while driving. When you are sipping your coffee or biting out of your hamburger you probably feel immediate satisfaction, but you need to realize this immediate satisfaction will soon be gone when you start to make some risky driving choices because of them.

Everyone has eaten or drank something while driving; Nine out of 10 times you probably made a mess by spilling something or getting food on your clothing, because I know I sure have. On the way to work this morning I was eating a sticky breakfast bar and managed to get it all over my pants, so while driving I attempted to clean it up. Let me tell you that is a BIG mistake. I was not paying attention to the road and had to stop short when the car in front of me put on their brakes. I was lucky enough to catch it in time, but I could have easily not looked up from cleaning off my pants and rammed into the car in front of me. That is why you should never eat or drink while driving! Trying to consume things while driving can almost be as risky as talking or texting on your cell phone when in the car.

Some research has shown that most problems occur when people are trying to clean up the messes that they have made while eating and driving. It seems that the issue is more about spilling things than eating or drinking things. It is scary to think that spilling your small Dunkin Donuts coffee could lead to an accident. Now, you are probably want to know what the worse foods to eat while driving are and we are ready to tell you the top 10.The Providence Journal listed the top 10 most dangerous foods to eat while driving as stated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

1. Coffee – Probably the one thing that almost everyone drinks in the car is the most dangerous because it always manages to spill out.
2. Hot Soup – I’m not really sure why or how you can eat soup in the car, but again the same as coffee always manages to spill.
3. Tacos – Need I say more. This food is probably one of the most dangerous foods to eat sitting still, let alone trying to operate a vehicle while eating it.
4. Chili – Again, I am not sure why you would choose to eat this and drive, but just think of the spilling and dripping that can occur.
5. Hamburgers – All the condiments inside this bad boy are a disaster waiting to happen.
6. Barbecue – While delicious, very messy. The sauce will get all over anything that you touch.
7. Fried Chicken – Very, very greasy.
8. Jelly-filled Doughnuts – Think about this: Have you ever been able to eat a jelly doughnut without the center coming out? No, so don’t eat it while driving.
9. Soft Drinks – Common to have in the car, but these drinks can easily lead to spillage, which means a sticky mess all over your car.
10. Chocolate – It melts. This means all over your hands, your sterling while and your seats.

Eating while driving is messy and dangerous. It means that you are being occupied with something else other than the road. This can result in an accident, and no one wants that to happen because you could not wait 5 minutes till you got home to eat your jelly doughnut. Stay safe while driving and come to Bucci Insurance for all of your auto needs. We are  here to help you with your specific auto insurance policy.

Car accidents are something that no one whats to hear about or see, especially when they involve a teen or young adult. Car accidents are even worse when they hit close to home and you know someone involved. One of our insurance professionals at Bucci Insurance Group, Gloria Rubio, has a connection to a young man who passed away early Saturday morning after a car accident.

The young man’s name was Jason Fontes of Pawtucket, RI. Early Saturday morning, Fontes was driving south on Route 146 when he lost control of his vehicle and veered off the highway into the woods. Police found Fontes, pronounced dead at the scene, in his car 135 feet from the road. According to the police, speed and wet conditions were a factor in the accident. Fontes was only 21 years old.

Gloria’s daughter was a friend of Fontes and says that her daughter is taking the tragic accident hard. Just a week earlier, her daughter and Fontes were making plans to get together in the coming weeks. Having one of your friends suddenly pass away without having a chance to say goodbye is something that no one ever wants to do. However, it is a reality that it might happen one time in your life.

We can only do so much to try to prevent these accidents. At Bucci Insurance, we can help you with your auto insurance policy to make sure that you are protected in times of an accident. We will fit your policy to the specific needs of you and your family. The next step after setting up an auto insurance policy, is to talk to the young drivers in your family about driving safety. Here are some tips and topics to talk to your young driver about from the RI Department of Health:

• Don’t rely on simply driver education. Talk to your new driver about the responsibility of driving.
• Learn about teen driving restrictions in the state
• Do not let them drive at night
• Restrict passengers in the car
• Help teach your teen how to drive
• Be a role model to your teen
• Tell them to ALWAYS wear their seat belt
• Prohibit drinking
• Choose safe cars for your teen, not a car solely based on the brand
• Talk about drowsy driving (A topic we recently covered in the blog.)

Those are just some steps to take to make sure that your teen is driving safe. Accidents are happening all over the state: early last week two 16-year-old boys from North Providence were critically injured, last year in February a car accident in Cranston left three young adults dead and four injured, and at the same time I was involved in an accident that left my friend almost without an arm resulting from not wearing her seat belt.  Each year 5,000 teens and young adults die and 400,000 are seriously injured as a result of a car accident. The accidents we discussed are only four accidents involving teens and young adults within the last year, think of how many more have occurred in our state alone.

Make sure to talk to your young driver about the dangers of driving. It is important and could save their life one day. Please come to Bucci Insurance with any questions you may have about your auto insurance and how we can get you the best policy for you and your family. Our thoughts go out to Jason Fontes family and friends, along with any other families that have lost someone close to them this year as a result of a car accident. Please drive safe!