When truckers in Tennessee drive while they are hungry, they are more likely to engage in distracted driving. This often creates many dangers for other motorists who are sharing the roads with them. Many of them work many hours and may not take many rest or food stops in an effort to meet their shipment deadlines. According to CDL Life, accidents are more likely to occur for truck drivers than it is for other motorists. Government officials and local law enforcement agencies have ramped up their efforts to catch truckers who engage in distracted driving behaviors to reduce the number of accidents, injuries and casualties that occur.
“Eating and drinking while behind the wheel are distracting activities that many drivers, including truckers engage in”, states Napa. By taking their meals on the road with them, they can travel faster. However, doing so also increases the risk of them not paying attention to the roads like they should.
Eating and drinking often requires truckers to remove one or two hands from their steering wheels, making it hard for them to control and maneuver the vehicles properly. In the event of spills and food dropping, truck drivers may also remove their eyes from the roads momentarily. The few seconds to moments their eyes leave the streets and hands leave the wheel are enough time for their vehicles to wander into other lanes. Truckers may also fail to notice driving signals and behaviors of other motorists on the road which can increase their chances of collision significantly.
Truckers should limit their food and drink consumption while they are driving. If that is not possible, pulling over to a safe location on the side of the roads so they can nourish themselves is recommended. This can help to reduce the threat of accident and injury that is associated with truckers who eat and drive.