If you can cut back on everyday driving distractions, it will certainly help you save money on car insurance. The average auto insurance rate increases 22 percent after the first accident and 13 percent after the first driving ticket. You can avoid these expensive mistakes by eliminating some usual driver distractions.

Anything that takes your eyes off the road and/or your hands off the wheel can lead to a car crash and to higher car insurance rates. Eight out of ten drivers who own a cell phone admit they talk while driving, and 18 percent admit they text while doing it, according to a 2008 Nationwide Mutual study. In fact, 45 percent of drivers in that survey reported they were involved in an accident of some kind with a driver who was using a cell phone.

While only 3 percent of the respondents said they used to eat while driving, that is the most dangerous distraction for a driver. Drive-thrum is very tempting when you're in a hurry, but you should avoid these three dangerous food groups while driving:

· Hot: hot chocolate, hot coffee or a soup-to-go can spill or burn your mouth in a split second. Have you ever heard of a travel lid that doesn't leak?

· Greasy: tacos, hamburgers and chili dogs were designed to be eaten on the run, but greasy foods can make your steering wheel a mess, and that is pretty dangerous. Even more dangerous is the person who's grabbing a wing from a bucket of chicken.

· Gooey: jelly donuts or breakfast burritos can ooze down your shirt, on the way to work. What's more distracting that worrying of how you'll get that stain out before that important morning meeting?

Lots of insurance claims are filled with poor excuses for car accidents, like “eating chocolate cake” or “spilling hot chowder while driving”, as well as with tamer excuses like “the lid slipped” or “the dog jumped on my lap”. Sadly, in just a second, you can miss a green light turning red or a pedestrian stepping our from between parked cars. And bang! You had an accident! Will eating and driving be regarded as an infraction on an auto insurance accident report?

No. There's no field on an insurance claim report where you can write what you were eating while driving, so you won't get a ticket for it. Unless, of course, you’re at-fault for the accident. If you are, it's probably time to compare rates, because yours are going to increase. But you can still get a ticket for testing or talking

There are some American states that ban the use of hand-held cell phones by any driver. Those who oppose this ban complain that the accident data is not compelling, partly because it's self-reported. Many drivers are unwilling to admit they were distracted when they got involved in an accident, because their car insurance rate will certainly increase as a result. Others believe that a cell phone is critical for directions, for safety, and even for work productivity, as drivers with long commutes usually use hands-free equipment to make the most of their driving time. It's tough to find the middle ground, as even people who've lost someone in an accident caused by driver distraction have found it tough to put the cell phone in the glove compartment. Cell phones can really be addicting.

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