Drinking coffee while driving

chillin117

Was pulled over and warned about drinking coffee by Garda yesterday, He checked all my licence etc and said I could be charged with Driving without due care and attention. He was nice enough to me. Could you be hit with the same for eating an apple ? Did not know drinking tea/coffee was a no no ?

Toots

I'd imagine technically if you could be done for drinking coffee you could be done for eating an apple, or eating/drinking anything?? I never knew that was a thing.

Atlantic Dawn

Where you all over the shop on the road or what?

jimbis

He'd want to be a very brave Garda to bring such a case up infront of a judge. Unless you done some seriously bad driving while supping that coffee.

Voodoomelon

You probably caught his attention somehow, then when your license and insurance etc checked out, he felt the need to spout some nonsense. Cars have cupholders for a reason.

chillin117

Voodoomelon wrote: »

You probably caught his attention somehow, then when your license and insurance etc checked out, he felt the need to spout some nonsense. Cars have cupholders for a reason.

No, My driving was grand, He was just going by me in the fast lane and looked across as I was taking a sup

Andrewf20

And yet alot of cars have coffee cup holders installed on the dash which implies that it's not a concern generally surely?

Rolllo

I reckon they should be stricter on it - not saying you were driving dangerously OP, but there's plenty who are, hands off the wheel and eyes off the road while they get a good mouthful of a breakfast roll. I've seen people with bowls of cereal up on the wheel more than once and open cups of steaming hot drinks. A lad even crashed into the back of my sister's car once because he was too busy eating an ice-cream cone.

syklops

Andrewf20 wrote: »

And yet alot of cars have coffee cup holders installed on the dash which implies that it's not a concern generally surely?

By the same logic if a car had an ice bucket and a holder for martini glasses, then drinking cosmopolitans while driving would be fine.

wonski

syklops wrote: »

By the same logic if a car had an ice bucket and a holder for martini glasses, then drinking cosmopolitans while driving would be fine.

So is it designed to only be used when not driving?

If I want to drink a water what should I do? Pull over?

Seriously let's ban driving, this would make us safe.

tuxy

chillin117 wrote: »

He was just going by me in the fast lane and looked across as I was taking a sup

I think we all know about the driving lane / overtaking lane by now. Took decades to get peoples head around this. But is this the correct term for the lane to the right of a climbing lane?

Esel

tuxy wrote: »

I think we all know about the driving lane / overtaking lane by now. Took decades to get peoples head around this. But is this the correct term for the lane to the right of a climbing lane?

Not unless the climbing lane is called the slow lane.

tuxy

Esel wrote: »

Not unless the climbing lane is called the slow lane.

I often see them marked as such. Like here for example.
https://www.google.ie/maps/@52.8548711,-8.0673028,3a,75y,80.47h,75.65t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sTlbkaVxLBlrO4XhivDE7BA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

But would that make the right hand lane the driving lane or the fast lane?

Esel

tuxy wrote: »

I often see them marked as such. Like here for example.
https://www.google.ie/maps/@52.8548711,-8.0673028,3a,75y,80.47h,75.65t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sTlbkaVxLBlrO4XhivDE7BA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

But would that make the right hand lane the driving lane or the fast lane?

Normal speed lane?

Not fast lane anyway - we'd never hear the end of it!

Mellor

Voodoomelon wrote: »

You probably caught his attention somehow, then when your license and insurance etc checked out, he felt the need to spout some nonsense. Cars have cupholders for a reason.

Cars are also able to break the speed limit, possible doesn't mean legal.

To be clear, I don't think it is illegal. I just don't think the fact it has a cup holder is relevant to the law. Could be argued the cup holder is for the passengers.

What way is the mobile phone whilst driving law phrased? It's possible that drinking something with there head back would be distracted from the road in a similar fashion. But sipping a coffee, he's having a laugh

savagethegoat

there is a risk in drinking hot coffee I suppose, if you dumped the lot in your lap by accident (obviously) it could result in a major incident.

There's also the risk of driving one handed to consider.

_Kaiser_

savagethegoat wrote: »

there is a risk in drinking hot coffee I suppose, if you dumped the lot in your lap by accident (obviously) it could result in a major incident.

There's also the risk of driving one handed to consider.

Automatics FTW

I regularly would have a bottle of coke/orange or a coffee in the car and generally also drive one-handed - but both depend on the scenario involved.

- On clear free-flowing motorway (especially at some of the early/late hours I do those trips)... no issue whatsoever

- In busy start-stop traffic... not such a good idea

Chuchote

Well… scalding hot coffee, you're drinking it, with eyes lifted over the rim of the cup and one hand on the wheel. Someone drives fast out of a side road, or suddenly decides to change lanes in front of you… you're not really in full control of the car, are you?

theoneeyedman

Andrewf20 wrote: »

And yet alot of cars have coffee cup holders installed on the dash which implies that it's not a concern generally surely?

YEA, and they have that handy little mirror on the visor for doing yer make up while driving too, so what gives Gard.

Seriously though, WTF was the Guard at....such BS.

vandriver

Prosecutions have happened in the UK

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3406669/Driver-pay-145-eating-banana-wheel.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-335291/Pipped-Woman-driver-fined-eating-apple.html

And wasn't Gillian Taylforth done for eating something too?

Special Circumstances

They went big time on it the UK at one stage, I dunno did common sense prevail or not in the end.

If it's found to be a contributing factor to a crash or impeding other motorists through lack of progress, sure why not punish. I don't see the problem myself otherwise - except that the law doesn't differentiate between changing radio station, sipping occasionally from a covered coffee cup in an auto etc and "applying full battle paint and straightening hair on the N7 in rush hour". Gardai with a bit of cop on are needed to do that...

Mellor

Chuchote wrote: »

Well… scalding hot coffee, you're drinking it,

If it's scalding hot you prob shouldn't be drinking it.

"It's alright guard, it's a cappuccino and this is an automatic"

Special Circumstances

vandriver wrote: »

Prosecutions have happened in the UK

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3406669/Driver-pay-145-eating-banana-wheel.html

3 points for driving without due care and attention... you can FORGET about insurance in Ireland if you were to be caught eating fruit, supping coffee at the wheel if we got the same way. No insurance calculator is gonna give you the benefit of the doubt there.

I think there should be some observed negative consequences of the heinous fruit eating eg weaving, impeding other motorist (dodgy in fairness, plenty of useless f**kers holding people up without eating).

_Kaiser_

Chuchote wrote: »

Well… scalding hot coffee, you're drinking it, with eyes lifted over the rim of the cup and one hand on the wheel. Someone drives fast out of a side road, or suddenly decides to change lanes in front of you… you're not really in full control of the car, are you?

Mellor wrote: »

If it's scalding hot you prob shouldn't be drinking it.

"It's alright guard, it's a cappuccino and this is an automatic"

*sigh...* read what I typed lads!

I regularly would have a bottle of coke/orange or a coffee in the car and generally also drive one-handed - but both depend on the scenario involved.

- On clear free-flowing motorway (especially at some of the early/late hours I do those trips)... no issue whatsoever

- In busy start-stop traffic... not such a good idea

Clearer?

Chuchote

Speaking as the cyclist whose life depends on your having two hands on the wheel and full attention on the road, I'd rather you weren't having your breakfast instead of concentrating on operating heavy machinery.

dr.fuzzenstein

http://www.hairybaby.com/ngardai/

Special Circumstances

Mellor wrote: »

"It's alright guard, it's a cappuccino and this is an automatic"

_Kaiser_

Chuchote wrote: »

Speaking as the cyclist whose life depends on your having two hands on the wheel and full attention on the road, I'd rather you weren't having your breakfast instead of concentrating on operating heavy machinery.

My question would be what are you as a cyclist doing on a motorway at 6am/midnight? (because you still haven't read my post correctly it seems)

Esel

Chuchote wrote: »

Speaking as the cyclist whose life depends on your having two hands on the wheel and full attention on the road, I'd rather you weren't having your breakfast instead of concentrating on operating heavy machinery.

Can't I even change gear now? I'd rather you kept both eyes on the road ahead, and the other one on the road behind your behind.

Montgolfier

The RSA say on there TV ad on long journeys drink a coffee and take a nap. I always thought coffee keeps you awake so the nap should be first

Mellor

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

*sigh...* read what I typed lads!

Clearer?

Not sure why you still my post was directed at you?

For the record, I drink coffee all the time when driving.
One time a eat a cheeseburger and Diet Coke. No chips of course, I'm not a maniac

ThisRegard

Rolllo wrote: »

I reckon they should be stricter on it - not saying you were driving dangerously OP, but there's plenty who are, hands off the wheel and eyes off the road while they get a good mouthful of a breakfast roll. I've seen people with bowls of cereal up on the wheel more than once and open cups of steaming hot drinks. A lad even crashed into the back of my sister's car once because he was too busy eating an ice-cream cone.

And people argue against the smoking ban in cars.......

savagethegoat wrote: »

There's also the risk of driving one handed to consider.

You don't get banned from driving if you've only one arm.

Esel

Montgolfier wrote: »

The RSA say on there TV ad on long journeys drink a coffee and take a nap. I always thought coffee keeps you awake so the nap should be first

Caffeine takes 15/20 minutes to kick in, so nap after, wake up more alert. Rocket science?

Special Circumstances

Rolllo wrote: »

A lad even crashed into the back of my sister's car once because he was too busy eating an ice-cream cone.

I have an alternative theory about what distracts male drivers during ice cream weather! Far more distracting than a 99.

wonski

Chuchote wrote: »

Speaking as the cyclist whose life depends on your having two hands on the wheel and full attention on the road, I'd rather you weren't having your breakfast instead of concentrating on operating heavy machinery.

I think the Farming Forum is where you can complain about it.

We drive cars

whiskeyman

OP - what speed were you doing? I presume this was on a motorway?
Technically it is driving without due care. If going at such a speed, you could not admit you were in full control of your vehicle if you have one hand holding a coffee. What if you were to experience a tyre blowout?
I'm sure if you were stuck in traffic etc..., leniency would be shown.

To those who say cars have cup holders so it must be fine - you can still have a coffee in your car and drink from it at appropriate times. Sipping while overtaking etc... is not one of those times.

Mycroft H

I'm fecked then so. I do like a cup of coffee on long journeys.

Usually when cruising though. Wouldn't use it on the twisty bits.

ironclaw

Chuchote wrote: »

Speaking as the cyclist whose life depends on your having two hands on the wheel and full attention on the road, I'd rather you weren't having your breakfast instead of concentrating on operating heavy machinery.

I'd love if some of the cycling cohort had some common sense and didn't cycle on the N11 during rush hour including mosy-ing across off ramps. Its legal, yes, is it sane? No.

Drinking and eating while driving are perfectly legal, with the caveat of not driving dangerously. Could you imagine the outcry if smoking in cars was banned?

ThisRegard

ironclaw wrote: »

I'd love if some of the cycling cohort had some common sense and didn't cycle on the N11 during rush hour including mosy-ing across off ramps. Its legal, yes, is it sane? No.

Drinking and eating while driving are perfectly legal, with the caveat of not driving dangerously. Could you imagine the outcry if smoking in cars was banned?

Two things. As you said, it's not illegal to cycle on the N11, the only thing that can make it dangerous is some of the motorists. Lets remove them from the N11.

Secondly, smoking in cars is banned if you have kids in it.

Comhrá

ThisRegard wrote: »

And people argue against the smoking ban in cars.......



You don't get banned from driving if you've only one arm.

But try drinking a coffee chancing your (only) arm and I'd say you might garner attention from a passing Garda...

cursai

There must have been a problem with the manner your driving possibly causedo by distraction whilst drinking your coffee. Drinking the coffee is NOT the offence. It's an element in the manner of your driving. Simple.

Chuchote

wonski wrote: »

I think the Farming Forum is where you can complain about it.

We drive cars

Look at the weight of your car. It's heavy machinery, even if you don't think so. If you really don't think so, perhaps jack it up, place your foot under the tyre of the front or back wheel and let the jack down. You may change your opinion of what's heavy and what's light

ironclaw wrote: »

I'd love if some of the cycling cohort had some common sense and didn't cycle on the N11 during rush hour including mosy-ing across off ramps. Its legal, yes, is it sane? No.

Drinking and eating while driving are perfectly legal, with the caveat of not driving dangerously. Could you imagine the outcry if smoking in cars was banned?

There is no cycling cohort, but there are reckless people everywhere. I wouldn't personally cycle on the N11; I don't trust driver safety enough, and there is no protected, separated cycle lane there, and drivers often illegally drive on the hard shoulder.

I would ban smoking when driving. Holding something that's on fire when you're in charge of heavy machinery is not safe.

Special Circumstances

Yay! Common sense debate over whether snacking/sipping should be verboten in cars becomes cyclist waawaa fest.
Any issues I've had as a cyclist with bad drivers was due to them being ignorant useless d!ckheads, not because they happened to be decent drivers having snack.

TheRiverman

Ban driving and drink more coffee:rolleyes:

Sam Kade

Voodoomelon wrote: »

You probably caught his attention somehow, then when your license and insurance etc checked out, he felt the need to spout some nonsense. Cars have cupholders for a reason.

So there you have it :rolleyes: I wonder would it hold a bottle of beer.

Kimbot

Special Circumstances wrote: »

I have an alternative theory about what distracts male drivers during ice cream weather! Far more distracting than a 99.

Two 99's?

bmwguy

ironclaw wrote: »

I'd love if some of the cycling cohort had some common sense and didn't cycle on the N11 during rush hour including mosy-ing across off ramps. Its legal, yes, is it sane? No.

Drinking and eating while driving are perfectly legal, with the caveat of not driving dangerously. Could you imagine the outcry if smoking in cars was banned?

When I used to smoke years ago I dropped my father to an event in kilternan in the Dublin mountains. On the way home I lit up a smoke and then came to a red traffic light. A stolen car ( Micra)came up behind me and rear ended me and drove off, found burnt out a few minutes later as I reported it in local Garda station, I had the reg and all, thought I was great.
Anyway, the cigarette dropped out of my mouth with the impact (mild enough impact to be honest ) and I never, ever found it. No idea where it went I was terrified the carpet/upholstery would catch fire.

Still baffled to this day.

Henry Ford III

Drinking a coffee or water doesn't sound so bad, but where do you draw the line?

Tuning the radio? Smoking, Eating? Shaving (electric)? Applying makeup?

Texting is obviously a no no, as is non hands free use of a mobile.

wonski

bmwguy wrote: »

When I used to smoke years ago I dropped my father to an event in kilternan in the Dublin mountains. On the way home I lit up a smoke and then came to a red traffic light. A stolen car ( Micra)came up behind me and rear ended me and drove off, found burnt out a few minutes later as I reported it in local Garda station, I had the reg and all, thought I was great.
Anyway, the cigarette dropped out of my mouth with the impact (mild enough impact to be honest ) and I never, ever found it. No idea where it went I was terrified the carpet/upholstery would catch fire.

Still baffled to this day.

You wouldn't have that problem if it was a cup of coffee you were holding.

Mellor

bmwguy wrote: »

When I used to smoke years ago I dropped my father to an event in kilternan in the Dublin mountains. On the way home I lit up a smoke and then came to a red traffic light. A stolen car ( Micra)came up behind me and rear ended me and drove off, found burnt out a few minutes later as I reported it in local Garda station, I had the reg and all, thought I was great.
Anyway, the cigarette dropped out of my mouth with the impact (mild enough impact to be honest ) and I never, ever found it. No idea where it went I was terrified the carpet/upholstery would catch fire.

Still baffled to this day.

Maybe it landed in the micra and caused it to explode down the road.

PaddyWilliams

Montgolfier wrote: »

The RSA say on there TV ad on long journeys drink a coffee and take a nap. I always thought coffee keeps you awake so the nap should be first

Going totally off topic here, but if you actually drink a coffee and then immediately take a 15 or 30 minute nap, you will be even more alert as it takes some time for the caffeine to have it's full affect on you.