Drinking And Driving Takes On New Meaning As Coffee May Be The Next Target For Driving Bans

*****hey editor: it's me brent. I went over some changes with Chandra and looked over this copy myself. I think the flow is good to go, just needs an editors eye for the normal stuff.***** <--- plz remove this upon publishing content. thx!!!! The State of New Jersey is considering a bill which may impact one of consumers' favorite past times: multi tasking on their way to work. A recent

from the State described the ban as potentially impacting "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." As one

reporter suggested, this could impact two extremely popular segments of the retail market: coffee and fast food. The State is worried about the distraction of motorists while driving. In 2014, as many 3,179 fatal crashes were reported for distracted driving. According to the State's Highway Traffic Safety website, distracted driving was cited as a reason for close to 800,000 crashes from the year 2010 to 2014. Traders or investors looking to play this changing dynamic in the landscape of business commuters may consider the exposure some companies have to the coffee market, for example. Starbucks Corporation

, Dunkin Brands Group Inc

, Time Hortons Inc.

, McDonald's Corporation

and The Coca-Cola Company

each may be viewed as a possible play on this trend. At this point, the impact could be restricted to the New Jersey State drivers; however, the threat of other States joining it with a similar move cannot be ruled out. Coffee and snack shops industry in the United States witnessed total revenue of $28.84 billion. In the current year, the coffeehouse industry is estimated to generate revenue of over $32 billion. This is considered a small percentage of the big food and drink industry that is projected to witness $782 billion in the United States, according to Statista.com. In 2015, Starbucks reported $19.16 billion revenue. Of this, beverage revenue accounted for $11.12 billion. Similarly, packaged and single-serve coffees and teas accounted for $2.62 billion revenue in the same year. As far as Dunkin Donuts is concerned, coffee and other drinks contribute a significant percentage to total sales. For instance, a few years back, it accounted for more than 50 percent of sales revenue. The company generated $810.93 million sales last year.