AUTHOR Robert Gillespie

Hay Fever A Driving Distraction

As Hay fever season has hit the UK with grass pollen levels at the highest all year many drivers are warned to beware and stay safe as hay fever can largely affect your driving ability. Hay fever can effect suffers with the symptoms with little or no warning which adds to the danger, the major danger is the fact that if you suffer badly from the affliction then your eyes can often close involuntarily for a second and that split second could happen on the road which evidently could lead to a major accident even with it being seconds the result could be the same.

Other symptoms can include itchy eyes, runny noses which can also be a distraction for drivers, the issue with hay fever suffers is that when the pollen count is high you can take precaution but still see the effects, the advice is to stay inside but as you may realise majority of people can’t just stay inside all day whilst there’s a high pollen count. The best thing that you can do is beware of the symptoms at all times, avoid opening car windows and use air conditioning as an alternative.

A survey by Opticrom has revealed that 55% of the 2,000 UK adults surveyed have been distracted behind a wheel due to hay fever symptoms like watery eyes or runny noses as well as loss of concentration, these all of course ultimately lead to accidents when driving, this figure is shockingly high and very dangerous. Unfortunately like previous mentioned there isn’t much you can do about the symptoms and how fast they can take effect but for the sake of other drivers beware of the dangers if you are a frequent hay fever sufferer and if you can when symptoms are rife at least avoid driving. Hay fever may not be labelled a killer but it’s certainly dangerous.

Having worked in the car rental industry for over 15 years, he really knows his stuff. Rob heads up our marketing department and as a keen traveller, always has a new location to talk about. Particularly if there is a golf course nearby.

Robert Gillespie

Traveller