‘Eating A Meal’ Tops List Of Most-Common Distracting Activities For Washington Drivers

Drivers Rate Danger Level of Common Driver Distractions in a PEMCO Insurance Poll

May 10, 2023

They may not think it’s safe, but most Washington drivers admit to keeping one eye and one hand on a meal while driving, according to a PEMCO Insurance poll on driver distraction released today.

Eating a meal turned out to be the most-common distracting activity — 65 percent of drivers stated they eat while driving. Fifty-eight percent of drivers acknowledged they talk on a cell phone while driving. Drivers also thought both activities were unsafe, along with several other every day distracted operating activities.

The poll of 600 Washington residents also asked drivers to rate the danger of these every day distracted driving activities. Drivers rated each activity on a scale from one to five, with ‘1’ being “completely safe” and ‘5’ being “very dangerous.”

Distracted Driving Activity                       Percentage of Drivers                          Average Driver

Admitting Driving While                         Danger Rating

Eating a Meal                                                         65%                                                 3.8

Talking on a Cell Phone                                           58%                                                 4.0

Steering with Legs and No Hands on Wheel              25%                                                 4.7

Applying Makeup or Shaving                                    14%                                                 4.6

Reading a Newspaper or Book                                   6%                                                 4.9

Writing a Text Message                                            3%                                                 4.8

“We found that when drivers eat food or call a friend, they do so despite thinking it’s dangerous,” said Jon Osterberg, PEMCO Insurance spokesperson. “Our goal is to help drivers understand that when they do that, they’re going against their better judgment.”

The poll showed drivers admit to other distracting activities in varying amounts, including applying makeup or shaving, reading a newspaper or book, steering with their legs, and writing a text message.

Drivers thought reading a newspaper or book while driving was the most-dangerous distracted driving activity, with drivers rating it a 4.9 out of 5 on the danger scale. Drivers also felt that writing a text message while driving was hazardous, placing it a 4.8.

Drivers Know About Distractions on the Road

Motorists handle dozens of distractions every time they drive, from conversations with passengers to music on the radio to roadside events. PEMCO polled drivers to learn what they perceive to be the most dangerous distractions. PEMCO will use that information in its safety-related consumer-education efforts, which include fact sheets, the Perspective customer newsletter, and the consumer tips section of pemco.com

No distracted driving activity received a “safe” rating and six daily. Delighted driving activities scored a 4.5 out of 5 on the danger scale.

“Drivers’ opinions draw heavily on personal experience,” said Osterberg. “It’s reasonable to believe that many have tried eating or using a cell phone while driving and decided it’s dangerous.”

Do Drivers Downplay the Danger of More Common Distractions?

The poll showed a significant trend: the more drivers admitted to performing a distracting activity, the less dangerous they saw the action. PEMCO sees danger in any driving distraction. PEMCO encourages drivers to take responsibility for their driving habits and decide which practices are safe for themselves.

“Let your common sense dictate what’s safe and distracting,” said Osterberg. “Don’t fall into that ‘group mentality’ and think that eating while driving must be safe just because you see so many people do it. Even a second or two of distractions can be dangerous. We see it all the time with rear-end collisions.”

Modern Conveniences Cause Distractions

Most Washington drivers admitted to eating meals and talking on the phone while driving, tying the most common distractions to two modern conveniences: take-out windows and cell phones.

“Eating a fast-food meal behind the wheel used to be less common, and not that long ago, talking on the phone while driving was impossible,” said Osterberg. “Technology changed that. Today’s drivers should ask, ” Can do equate with should do?”

PEMCO offers these tips for drivers tempted to eat and drive:

  • If you know you’ll be stopping for a quick bite on the trip, try to leave a little earlier to allow time to eat away from the car.
  • If you pick up food from a drive-through, take a few extra minutes to park in the restaurant lot and eat. “You’ll be safer and enjoy your food more,” said Osterberg.
  • If you’re traveling with someone, take turns eating and driving.

For cell phones, PEMCO’s recommendation is simple: don’t use one while driving. Instead, use a hands-free device to reduce distractions or pull over when making or taking a call.

Large Contributor to Accidents

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that driver distraction contributes to between 20 and 30 percent of all crashes.

Osterberg notes that the greatest danger comes when distractions combine with changing road conditions: you’re eating or talking on a cell phone when the unexpected happens — another driver changes lanes, brakes suddenly, or a sharp curve appears.

“If you’re trying to find that glob of mustard you dropped, or you’re looking at your phone keypad, you’re not prepared to deal with changes on the roadway,” said Osterberg. “Distractions lead to crashes.”

About the Poll

PEMCO Insurance commissioned the independent, statewide phone survey that asked Washington drivers if they engaged in every day distracted driving activities and asked them to rate the safety of those activities from one (completely safe) to five (very dangerous).

The sample size of 600 respondents yields an accuracy of +/- 4 percent at the 95 percent confidence level. In other words, if this study were conducted 100 times, in 95 instances, the data would not vary by more than +/- 4 percent.

Source: PEMCO