As the hay fever season sets in, approximately 24 million motorists (72 %) will be affected by distracting symptoms - including itchy and watery eyes, blocked or runny noses and frequent sneezing - when behind the wheel.
The research commissioned by esure insurance estimated that in excess of 2 million UK motorists (7 %) have had an accident, near miss, or momentarily lost control of their car as a result of sneezing while driving.
And it’s not just those behind the wheel who need to be wary of hay fever symptoms, in-car passengers were found to contribute to more than an estimated 670,000 accidents, with sudden sneezing distracting the driver. More than 20 million in the UK suffer from hay fever symptoms and a worrying 21 % of motorists that suffer from hay fever take their hands off the wheel as a result of frequent sneezing.  I am surprised it is not more being such a violent bodily reaction.
More than half (52 %) of motorists surveyed admitted to closing their eyes momentarily when sneezing. Try sneezing with your eyes open – it’s impossible, while almost one third (30 %) admitted to taking their eyes off the road to search for tissues in their car when they are experiencing symptoms.  How come I have sneezed throughout writing this news article? Just shows how infectious sneezing can be. Where on earth are the tissues when you need them?