Have you ever woken up late and had to get out the door as quickly as possible? More than likely, you have, and you aren’t alone. Perhaps you didn’t have time to shave or put on your makeup. Should you do it while you drive?
Some people do, and they put lives at risk. Any distraction has the potential to cause an accident, and grooming behaviors are no exception.
The most common grooming done behind the wheel
The fact is that grooming requires your hands and your eyes. If you are driving and engaging in one of the following behaviors, you could end up causing an accident:
- Some women will put on their makeup while driving, which requires the use of one or both of their hands and their eyes. Matters can get worse if a woman pokes herself in the eye while applying eye makeup.
- Some men will shave their faces while behind the wheel, which requires consistent use of a hand and their eyes. A man could cut himself as he shaves, which will only make the situation more dangerous.
- Both men and women will fix their hair as they drive, which may require moving a hand around the head, which can obstruct one’s view. In addition, most people will take their eyes off the road to look in the mirror to check their hair as they fix it and after finishing it.
- Some people will actually put in contact lenses as they drive. One has compromised vision during this process, and the risk of dropping one of the lenses or poking the eye is always present.
- Some drivers will brush their teeth as they drive, which can be messy and risky since choking on the toothbrush is a possibility.
- Putting on or adjusting a tie or jewelry also requires the use of hands and eyes.
In addition to the distraction performing these tasks creates, they can also cause frustration, which may affect the way you drive. Taking care of these tasks at home or in a parked vehicle makes them rather routine and usually not dangerous. However, doing so while the vehicle is moving makes them anything but routine. Technically, none of these behaviors are illegal, but if a police officer witnesses you doing them while you drive, he or she can pull you over and give you a ticket.
However, just because something isn’t really illegal doesn’t mean that you should do it. When another driver puts your life at risk by grooming while driving, you could pay the price. If you suffer serious injuries in a crash with such a driver, you may have the opportunity to pursue compensation for the financial and other losses you sustained as a result of someone else’s negligence.