28th April 2011
Hay fever warnings issued to car insurance customers
Car insurance policyholders have been warned of the dangers when driving while suffering from hay fever.
A new report released by Halfords has shown that 27 per cent of motorists in the UK are inflicted by the condition, with some people so badly affected that they sneeze on average once every minute.
However, the study also revealed some dangers of having hay fever when behind the wheel of the car.
For example, ten per cent have admitted to having to stop their car until excessive sneezing had subsided, while 32 per cent say they have taken their eyes away from the road while driving in order to search for tissues in a vehicle.
Police have therefore warned that driving while suffering from hay fever could end up with the motorist being prosecuted.
PC Steve Rounds, from the Central Motorway Police Group, explained: "While I have every sympathy with sufferers, commencing a journey in such a state would certainly be irresponsible and could be held as an aggravating factor in any accident that led to a death or serious injury."
Of the entire UK population, an estimated nine million are affected by the allergy.
Posted by Penelope Fitzgerald
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