'Hay fever to blame for 2m accidents'
Date: 16/04/2008 12:00:00
More than two million road incidents in the UK are caused by sneezing drivers every year, a study has shown.
With hay fever season about to set in, a survey by esure has found that 72 per cent of motorists will exhibit symptoms that could affect their driving - and potentially result in a car insurance claim.
Another 670,000 accidents are also caused annually by drivers becoming distracted by their passengers sneezing.
Professor Brian Lipworth, professor of allergy and respiratory medicine at Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, said that hay fever sufferers can sneeze up to 50 times a day.
"Keep tissues at hand in the car, check the pollen count on the weather forecast and do not set out on a car journey if conditions are particularly severe," warned Mike Pickard, head of risk and underwriting at esure.
According to NHS Direct, hay fever is a common illness that affects 20 per cent of the UK population.