Should You Eat in Your Car?

As car owners, most of us have eaten in our cars at least once during ownership. Drive-throughs are convenient for road warriors and work commuters alike. Time is money, after all, and there’s not always time to take a leisurely meal when you’re on the go. But should you eat in your car or not? There’s a lot of debate on both sides, so let’s take a look at the pros and cons of this practice.

Eating in Your Car: Pros

Whether you’re a casual driver or a road warrior, there are a lot of pros to eating in your car.

Can be Fun: If you’ve never had a picnic in your car before, why not give it a shot? Sometimes your planned trip to the park can be rained out. Or, perhaps there’s not a park nearby. With the right mentality, a picnic in your car can be a lot of fun. Grab a good friend, pack a bag (or a picnic basket if you have one), and drive to your local park for a quick nosh before enjoying a day in the sun.

Timesaver: It’s 7:40am and you haven’t eaten breakfast yet, but your boss expects you to be at a meeting at 8am. You’ll want to be at your best, so instead of skipping the most important meal of the day, stopping by the drive-through can help you fill up and give you the energy you need to rock your meeting.

Convenient: As nice as it is to have a sit-down meal at a restaurant, nothing beats convenience like eating in your car. Depending on whether you grab something at the grocery store, bring something from home, or stop at your favorite fast food spot, eating on the go is convenient to not have to leave your car to be served a meal.

Eating in Your Car: Cons

While eating in your car has a lot of conveniences, there are some cons to consider as well.

Danger: Driving safely requires your full attention to be on the road. Multitasking on anything – whether it’s driving and being on the phone, driving and talking with your passenger, or driving and eating – reduces how much attention you have to focus on the road.

Health Considerations: As convenient as it is to stop at your usual fast food joint, eating fast food isn’t always the healthiest option. If you have special health considerations or are just trying to watch your waistline, it may be a good idea to keep track of how often you’re eating on the go.

Cleanliness: When your attention is split between driving and eating, it can be easy for stray crumbs to escape even the best-intentioned driver. If you’re a clean freak, this may be a deal breaker for you. After all, crumbs accumulate in the most difficult of places – and that’s not even to mention spills. Unless you have a membership at your local auto wash, you may wind up spending a good chunk of change to keep your car spotless if you eat in your car on the regular.

Splitting the Difference

As you can see, there’s no single answer to the question, ‘Should you eat in your car?’ Ultimately, this choice comes down to preference and your particular situation. Some of us want to keep our favorite cars in pristine condition while others don’t mind a few crumbs here and there. Some of us are on a tight deadline and can’t spare the time to stop for a meal.

Whatever you decide, just remember to keep your eyes on the road and a hand on the wheel. It’s also probably a good idea to avoid foods that are messy or require both hands.

If you drop something, don’t reach down and grab it. While it might cause a mess, leave it or, if you have a passenger, ask them to grab the item if they are able. No matter how you look at it, it’s better to cause a small mess than a large car accident!