Thanks to years of ad campaigns warning of the dangers of drink-driving, none of us are ignorant about the risks of getting behind the wheel after even one or two drinks. However, research just published seems to indicate that driving while suffering from cold or flu can be almost as dangerous. The symptoms produced, such as stuffy head, wooziness and sneezing can cause a driver’s ability to be impaired to the same extent as those who have drunk enough to bring them close to or at the drink-driving level.
Lloyds TSB Insurers commissioned the research to see how drivers suffering from a range of illnesses and conditions performed. They found that flu or cold sufferers performed 11% worse than healthy drivers, the same performance as those who have downed a double whisky before getting into the car. Slowed reaction times would add 1 metre when driving at 30mph to a healthy driver’s stopping distance of 12 metres .Naturally enough, most drivers are unaware that driving when sick may be dangerous, with 38% of those surveyed saying they had driven when suffering from flu. The company have estimated that considering a YouGov poll where 22 drivers said they had crashed when driving ill, some 125,000 accidents could be caused each year by flu or cold-ridden motorists.
The insurers have warned that driving when unwell, especially if you are taking medication or are fatigued, could put you at significant risk. A spokesperson for them said, “Getting behind the wheel when ill causes thousands of accidents every year. Try to avoid driving if you’re suffering from cold or flu.”
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents have recommended - unsurprisingly - that motorists use their judgement when weighing up whether they are in a fit condition to drive. “A common sense approach is needed as it is possible to drive safely when feeling 'slightly under the weather', but a point may be reached when it is unwise to drive. People need to be honest with themselves about their ability to drive safely."
Studies like this are always interesting, but what impact it will really have on motorists is questionable. Someone with flu would clearly rather be in bed than driving around, so the likelihood is that they are making what they consider to be a necessary journey. No one wants to drive when sick, so unless legislation was put in place, being aware it is a little risky is unlikely to put people off. And were there to be legislation, imagine how that would work. Perhaps points would be deducted according to redness of nose or the number of used tissues on the passenger seat