Is It Legal To Eat While Driving In New York State?

That's an interesting question. How many of us have been eating some sort of food while driving? I bet the answer would be most motorists have. I certainly have, and I will probably do so in the future.

It's not that I am consuming good while driving on a regular basis, actually, it's rare that I do, and whatever it may be, it is going to be something that's easy to consume. For example, I probably wouldn't attempt to eat something that is too large to handle with one hand, like a burger with all the toppings and condiments. That's a disaster just waiting to happen.

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But is it legal for you to consume food while driving in New York State? The answer is yes. But I found out through the Trusted Choice website that there is a “dangerous driving” regulation in the Empire State. And if the distraction of eating causes you to drive erratically, that could go against you.

And there are some hefty fines for distracted driving in New York State according to Trusted Choice, including a 50 to 200 dollar fine for the first offense, 50 to 250 for a second offense and if you are hit a third time, the fine could be between 50 and 450 dollars. These are all measured in an 18-month span. Plus, you'll get slapped with five demerits on your driving record for every citation.

Here's something I learned while reading the Trusted Choice study - I knew it is illegal to text while driving, but I didn't know that it was legal in New York State to receive and send texts while at a red light. And you are allowed to wear a headset but in only one ear. You need to be able to hear any possible emergency vehicles coming your way.

via Trusted Choice