Coffee is certainly one of the most common beverages consumed in the car. If you drive during the morning rush hour and you pass a coffee shop, you’ll probably see a line of cars going around the store. And that just counts people who are buying their coffee from a store in the first place. Many other people brew coffee at home, put it in a travel mug and take it to work with them.
There are some benefits to drinking coffee in the car. For example, drowsy driving can lead to serious car accidents. Some studies show that consuming caffeine naturally makes it less likely that this will happen. Someone who is in danger of falling asleep behind the wheel may be much safer if they have a cup of coffee.
But there are also some significant dangers to consider.
Coffee is a distraction
The biggest issue is that coffee itself can be a distraction. If the driver has to hold the cup with one hand, they are manually distracted from operating the vehicle. Raising the coffee cup to take a drink blocks their vision.
On top of this, there could be a mishap. Say that a driver suddenly has to react, but they’re holding a coffee cup in one hand, so they can’t react quickly enough. They could be involved in an avoidable accident. Or say that they drop their coffee and spill it on themselves while driving, causing them to veer off of the road.
Have you been injured?
Even if you avoid drinking coffee in the car, many others still will. If you suffer injuries in an accident another driver causes, you may be able to seek financial compensation.