par Rino Gallo
In Belgium, it is estimated that one person in six suffers from hay fever. And you are definitely one of them…
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Many people dread the arrival of spring, especially because of hay fever. Watery and swollen eyes, sneezing… the symptoms are frequent and rather unpleasant. They can also constitute a danger at the wheel, according to the Walloon Agency for Road Safety (AWSR). According to a study relayed by Belga, an untreated hay fever would have the same effect while driving as two or three glasses of alcohol.
“When we sneeze, we close our eyes for a brief moment. This reflex mechanism is impossible to avoid, and can ‘blind’ the driver on average for 3 seconds, thus preventing him from seeing the road and from reacting for a distance of approximately 100 meters at 120 km/h., underlines the AWSR. Prescribed antihistamines can also cause drowsiness, dizziness and inattention, effects that can increase the risk of an accident.
According to the AWSR, in Wallonia, one in five drivers say they have taken the wheel “at least once a year after taking antihistamines or medicine for the flu or cold”while the risk of an accident is five times higher under the influence of medication.
Before setting off, the Agency advises those concerned to find out about the effects of medical treatment, to have the vehicle’s pollen filter changed regularly and to ask, when the vehicle is serviced, to clean the circuit air conditioning and ventilation of the passenger compartment, or to vacuum the vehicle regularly.
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