You’ve surely felt a sneeze build itself up before: Your eyes begin to water and you can’t help trying to cover your nose. When you finally close your eyes and sneeze, it is sweet relief.
If someone was driving when they had to sneeze, however, those few seconds looking away from the road could be deadly. On average, you can travel about 50 feet – totally blind – while you sneeze.
Sneezing isn’t the only thing that can put drivers at risk of accidents, however. Here are two other common problems:
Eating while driving
You know fast food is a luxury. Anyone can get a full meal at a drive-thru, and they don’t even have to leave the comfort of their car – so why should they leave their vehicles to eat?
Many people eat while driving. They may grab a quick meal before work. They may not feel like cooking that day and grab dinner on the way home.
It’s not just the eating that’s distracting but grabbing and unwrapping the food that puts drivers at risk of injuries. Drivers may look away from the road to grab their food. They may even get grease on their hands, making it harder to turn the steering wheel.
Personal grooming while driving
Not everyone gets the time to put on their makeup or shave in the morning. Some people try to split their time while driving by handling personal grooming tasks.
A driver might poke their eye if they suddenly hit a bump while putting on eyeliner. This can cause severe pain and blindness in addition to a distraction. This is all happening while one hand is off the wheel and the other is focusing on applying makeup or operating a razor.
A distracted driver may not realize how their actions affect the people around them. If you were recently in an auto accident and facing serious injuries from a distracted driver, you may need to know your options when looking to recover from your losses and injuries.
