by Brian Byrne. Hay fever sufferers have been asked to be extra careful when driving, because a sudden burst of sneezing at the wheel has the potential to cause the driver to lose control.
The warning came from the Irish Advanced Motorists (IAM) organisation which says that if a hay fever sufferer has a bout of eight or nine sneezes when traveling at 120 km/h on a motorway, vision could be lost for up to 1km.
Mike Kavanagh, Director, IAM, says almost one in ten of the Irish population suffer from the condition. “If it’s really bad, do not attempt to drive. If your journey is really necessary, try to get someone else to do the driving. Keep all the windows closed all the time to reduce the number of pollen grains in the car and vacuum all the mats, carpets and upholstery every week to get rid of the dust.
“If you feel a bout of sneezing coming on when driving, slow down, not forgetting to check the mirrors, and give a signal if beneficial to other road users. Try pressing hard between your upper lip and nose with your finger. That usually delays the sneezing or stops it altogether.”
Other precautions include checking that any medication taken for hay fever is suitable to use while driving and to bear in mind that many hay fever remedies cause drowsiness.
