Canadians Can Be Fined For Eating While Driving

Drivers could be charged as much as $400 for a single offence.

Canada is cracking down on its distracted driving problem with the rollout of stricter laws that impose harsher penalties and heftier fines on guilty offenders. Such measures are more than necessary now, as distracted driving has claimed more lives than impaired driving in provinces like British Columbia and Ontario.

But distracted driving is more than just using your cell phone while behind the wheel — according to the official RCMP website, distracted driving is anything that can lead to a driver’s impaired judgement while on the road, including:

Talking on a cellphone
Texting
Reading (books, maps, newspapers)
Smoking
Personal grooming
Adjusting the radio/CD or playing extremely loud music
Talking to passengers while fatigued
Eating and driving

On the issue of eating and drinking while driving, the RCMP said that “it's best to avoid eating and drinking while driving” and recommends that “if you need to take a drink, wait until you are stopped at a red light.”

Last year, the BC RCMP released a tweet reminding Canadians that eating a bowl of soup while driving could lead to a $368 fine and adds six demerits to one’s record.

Though each province has its own specific laws regarding distracted driving, the RCMP notes that in most provinces, fines of over $500 and up to 4 demerit points with license suspension are possible.

The recent policies regarding eating and drinkingwhile driving have been highly controversial since their implementation. People who regularly go to drive-thrus or utilize their cupholders are particularly triggered by the law, saying that it’s still possible to keep one’s eyes on the road and a hand on the wheel while occasionally snacking with the other.

Distracted driving caused more fatalities than impaired driving in multiple provinces last year

Getting caught eating while driving could land you a $368 fine and six demerits.

Practice safe driving