Is It Illegal to Eat While Driving in Louisiana?

Look, I'll be honest, I do it all the time. I'm talking about eating while I drive.

I should probably slow down on the fast food. Or simply simmer down from just eating on the go.

We complain all the time about when people text and drive, or in some cases simply using the phone and driving. But should we put down the burger while we're on the roads?

Perhaps so. A 2020 study found that drivers distracted by food or drinks are at a 173% higher risk of being involved in an accident.

When you think about it, that adds up. Experts say eating while driving is problematic because it involves manual, visual, and cognitive distraction.

But is eating food while driving against the law in Louisiana?

The simple answer is no. There is currently no law in Louisiana that prohibits eating or drinking while driving.

However, if you're munching down on that bag of cracklins you just picked up from The Best Stop and it causes you to drive erratically or to lose focus and commit a moving violation, like running a stop sign, you could be pulled over for that. And if that would happen, you might just get written up for careless driving as well as for the moving violation you committed.

So, unless eating that cheeseburger helps you make weight for the UFC fight weigh-in you're heading to, go ahead and wait to chow down until you're parked or indoors.