DWP: Driving while primping. Do you shave your legs on the 405?

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Britney Spears was reportedly putting on makeup when she crashed her white Mercedes last week. Was anyone else utterly unflummoxed? But she’s not the only woman driving while applying. The Rage has seen ladies fumbling with mascara on the 10 East and even once spotted a woman plucking her chin hair while she made a left on Fountain. (This blogger is certainly guilty of painting her lips while driving, but reserves plucking all errant hairs for parking lots.) In 2006, a woman in England was fined $100 for putting on blush while she drove 40 miles per hour. A recent study at Hunter College revealed that one in ten drivers distract themselves while driving by putting on makeup, eating something unwieldy like a burrito or drinking a beverage, or smoking. Even more telling: Farmers Insurance conducted a survey that found that 18% of women use cosmetics while behind the wheel, while 1.3% of men apply makeup too. Say what? Apparently, 8% of men and women style their hair as they tootle along. But the Rage’s favorite stat? The study revealed that 5.5% of men shave while commuting and 2.1% of women admitted to shaving too. (Check out this Giclee print by Dynamic Graphics of a woman who can do it all. $49.99 at art.com.)

Should primping while driving be illegal?

Photo: art.com