New Jersey Assembly Unanimously Approves Bill Banning Eating While Driving

It’s an art, really, arranging your car for optimal behind-the-wheel snackage. Fries in the cup holder; burger tucked in the narrow space between your hand and steering wheel. In time, you even learn which foods are most commuter-friendly and which will do a better job coating your carpets than your stomach. But if you live in New Jersey, all those handy tricks could very soon be all for naught.

On Monday, the New Jersey State Assembly approved 12 – 0 a bill that would ban “any activity unrelated to the actual operation of a motor vehicle in a manner that interferes with the safe operation of the vehicle on a public road or highway,” according to NBC.

This presumably means everything we know we shouldn’t be doing while driving, but do anyway, like applying make-up or smoking or, of course, eating, or even more innocuous activities like reading directions or rubbernecking.

The bill leaves it open to police discretion to decide what is or isn’t interfering, spawning some well-warranted hesitation among locals.

“I can’t adjust the radio anymore? I can’t change the CD? I can’t look at a map?” New Jersey National Motorists Association representative Steve Carrellas reportedly told local newspaper The Star-Ledger.“This is a whole set of undefined behavior that someone could perform in the car that could be considered not driving.”

Luckily the State Senate still needs to give the bill a once-over, so Garden Staters can continue on with their behind-the-wheel grubbing, at least until it’s green-lit.

H/T Vice