Drinking mate in the car while driving is one of the most dangerous sources of distraction when driving, according to the National Road Safety Agency
By iProfessional
05/05/2023 – 20,59hs
The National Road Safety Agency reports that drinking mate in the car while driving represents one of the most dangerous sources of distraction when driving, just like the cell phone.
Although at the national level there is no regulation that prohibits it, in the General Driving Rules section, the National Traffic Law establishes that “every driver will use both hands to operate the steering wheel of his vehicle”.
In this context, Yes, there is a province that decided to penalize those who drink mate while driving, considering it a very serious offense. This is Mendoza.
Fine for drinking mates in the car: how much does it cost?
According to decree 326/18 of the law of said province, which regulates and complements Law 9,024 No. of Road Safety, drivers “must drive with care and caution, maintaining effective control of the vehicle at all times, understanding as such driving with both hands on the wheel, except when changing speed or circumstances of justified force majeure”.
Failure to comply with the rule is considered an offense committed with gross negligence. That is why for the Government of Mendoza, tomar mates while driving is one of them and is fined with 100 fixed units. Currently, each of them has a value of 54 pesos.
In this way, whoever commits this infraction will have to pay a fine of $54,000.
Whoever commits this infraction will have to pay a fine of $54,000
What are the dangers of drinking mate in the car?
Not only should the person who drives the vehicle not drink mate, but it is also not recommended that other occupants do so. This is so since any sudden maneuver could cause an even bigger accident.
According to the ANSV, “a car traveling at 100 km/h travels 28 meters in a second, so four seconds sipping a mate would be like driving a whole block blindfolded.”
During the preparation process, get splashed with hot water or the grass spill could cause a burn to the passengers and even to the person behind the wheel, causing them to lose control of the vehicle.
In the event of an unexpected maneuver or impact, the bulb can become a sharp element that can cause serious damage to the occupants of the vehicle.
And, in addition to all this, in the event of an accident, the mate and the thermos they would become two forceful elements.
