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.

Everyone has probably driven when they did not get a full eight hours of sleep the night before, right? I know I have and yesterday the Providence Journal made a point of this as well. Their article was about how driving when drowsy can lead to accidents. Now, most of us do not intentionally dose off while driving; It is just something that happens when we do not get enough sleep, we can not control it. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that 90 percent of officers have reported pulling someone over because they thought they were intoxicated, but in actuality the drivers were simply tired. It is crazy to think that being sleepy can cause the same effects as being intoxicated while driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NSF) reported that 100,000 police reported accidents caused by driver drowsiness every year in the mid-1990s. Can you just image how many more accidents are reported today? Today people are on the go even more than they were 10 years ago. Over half the country is probably not getting the recommended eight hours of sleep and then getting up to drive to work in the morning. It is just not safe anymore. At Bucci Insurance we can protect you while driving by providing you with the perfect auto insurance in Rhode Island. When it comes to drowsy driving, we can inform you of ways to prevent it!

First we will inform you of some of the danger signs that AAA pointed out: not remembering the last few miles, wandering thoughts, not being able to focus, drifting across the road, tailing without realizing it, and missing traffic signs. Now, if you have experienced any of those signs you probably did not get a good night sleep. If that happens here are some things that you can do. Pull over you car, ideally into a rest area, and try to take a short walk. If you are still tired, NSF advises people to take a 20-minute power nap. If you are extremely tired, then get a hotel room and go to bed. It is worth it to spend that extra money and get a hotel room, rather get possibly getting in a car accident and endangering your lives and others. Other small steps to adopt are taking regular breaks on long trips, having a driving companion, not drinking sweet drinks, and eating healthy food.

You need to remember also that drowsiness is not just a nighttime occurrence. We can also feel drowsy in the mid-afternoon. An example of this is, one of my friends was driving home from URI and did not get eight hours of sleep the night before. It was around noon and she was so tired that she fell asleep at the wheel and flipped her car into the wooded area on the highway. Luckily, she was safe and did not endanger anyone else, but if she had just slept a little longer and waited a couple more hours to go home it would not have happened. The bottom line is that everyone needs to get a good night’s sleep! It is the best remedy for drowsy driving, and the easiest to do.

The NSF sponsors a whole Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, this year it will be during November 8-14. It is important that we make people aware of this dangerous driving. No one is invincible when it comes to this. Nodding off for only a couple seconds can cause you to drive off the road or cause an accident. We want our customers to be safe. If you have any questions about your auto insurance please call our Rhode Island insurance agency at 401.558.0101 or 877.210.7159.  Now, go get your eight hours of sleep, count your sheep do whatever you have to do to drive safe!